


Imaginary Friend

by metamorcy



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-11
Updated: 2014-02-20
Packaged: 2017-12-11 13:21:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metamorcy/pseuds/metamorcy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsuna pouted as his family made fun of his imaginary friend, it wasn't his fault they couldn't see him. It wasn't his fault that they couldn't see the tall man with a fedora that was behind them watching everything with those sharp dangerous looking eyes of his. Fluff mainly. No pairing! Parental!Reborn, child!Tsuna</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story will most likely be filled with fluff. Its not really a R27, its more of a family-based relationship between the two, like father and son. But enjoy anyway!

Tsuna didn't know what to do. His large honey-colored eyes peered around the streets carefully, trying to search out for something that was familiar to him. But there was nothing, nothing that told him which way to go or reassured him that he was going towards the right direction. He hadn't meant to get lost like this, not at all. It was entirely that big dog's fault, who had been barking at him furiously as he walked by. And Tsuna, being the scared wimpy child he was, ran at the sight and vanished into the streets. And to think he had been on his way home from school, too. He wanted nothing more than to be home where it was nice and warm and not here in the bitter cold of fall. It might not be as welcoming since his mom was always busy with his older brothers, but it was better than out here.

Tears began to form at the corner of his eyes, tempted to start crying in misery, but he rapidly shook his head. He couldn't cry, not now. Tsuna sniffled and rubbed his eyes with his sleeves and continued on. Peering around the area, he hoped that there was someone around that could lend him a hand, ignoring the words his mom had always told him about talking to strangers. Desperate times came desperate measures. However, much to Tsuna's dismay, there was no one on the streets. The sun was just barely starting to set in the distance and it was getting colder by the second. He shivered, hugging his worn jacket around him tighter, and kept going. Eventually, he came to a park and peeked inside, hoping that there was someone there to help him find his way home.

His large eyes peered up and down the place, hoping to see some sort of life, but pouted in the end. There was no one, no one around that he could see, it was clearly deserted. The swings were moving back and forth from the wind, the chains rattled and creaked in the creepiest way. Tsuna felt a shiver run down his spine when the sounds became particularly loud as the wind rushed by. Dashing over, he grabbed the chains to prevent it from reoccurring and continued to look around the place with mild curiosity. The playground with the multiple slides attached seemed so empty without anyone else in it and he knew it wouldn't be any fun if he were to try and play by himself. So, the swings would just have to do for now. Settling onto the rubber cushion, he rocked himself back and forth, staring at the ground as his feet dragged across the dirt. Tsuna remained in that position for a few moments, trying to keep his mind occupied, away from his wandering thoughts. Just as he was about to give up and move away, he heard a small ruffling sound. Blinking, he perked his head up to look around the park once more before finally settling on a bench.

There, on said bench was an adult male with spiky, jet black hair, hidden almost beyond view with the way he was angled. He was lying on the bench without a care in the world, arms folded behind the head, and appeared to be sleeping peacefully. A fedora rested on the face, preventing Tsuna from seeing the features and his eyes traveled to the rest of the body. The man was wearing a suit, black in color, with a yellow button-up shirt inside and a black tie tucked neatly underneath the jacket. In all honestly, the man looked like one of those business-type people he sometimes saw on TV. Gaining some courage into his tiny body, he hopped off the swing and slowly made his way towards the person. Tsuna shook at each step, hoping that this wasn't a bad idea, and when he got close enough, reached out with clear hesitation in his large orbs.

His hands grasped the fabric and gave a gentle tug. "Umm…"

At his touch, the man seemed to startle awake, pulling an arm from behind to flick his hat slightly off his face. Narrowed black eyes peered down at Tsuna, almost like they were glaring, before raising an eyebrow as the man continued to stare at the child. The brunet took in the curly sideburns and tilted his head curiously as he watched them bounce, tempted to reach out and grab them.

The two watched at each other before the man finally spoke. "You can see me?"

Tsuna tilted his head further at that in confusion. "See?"

"Never mind," The man slowly sat up and placed the fedora onto the top of his head, burying the spiky locks into the confinement. Tsuna stepped back to gain some distance and continued to peer up into those eyes carefully, not sure on what was going to happen next. He hadn't really thought that far. Was he going to be punished for doing something bad like waking the person up? He hoped not. Luckily for Tsuna, the man did nothing and leaned back against the bench. "So? What do you want?"

The brunet wiggled his nose, finding the accent obviously different compared to the people he heard from school. "I'm lost."

The man raised an eyebrow further up and pushed the fedora upwards. "You're lost?"

Nodding his head, Tsuna awaited for the response from the other, shoulders sinking down sadly.

"Where's your mom?"

"Home."

"Father?"

"Don't know."

"Where do you live?"

"Don't know."

The man appeared like he was about to sigh in frustration and instead reached up with a large hand to run it through his hair, pushing the locks back. The fedora shifted slightly at his movement before it went back into place. Slowly, he stood up, placing his hands into his pockets and peered down at the tiny child. "Fine, I have nothing better to do anyway. Come on, I'll walk you around."

Tsuna brightened up at the announcement, glad he would at least have some company, and followed along, almost waddling beside the man. He had to somewhat jog due to the person's long legs in order to keep up and huffed slightly when he started to fall behind. "Mister…what's your…name?"

"Reborn. Yours?"

"Tsuna." The brunet grinned brightly at that, continuing to jog forward, until he suddenly tripped over his own feet. He collapsed to the ground with an loud 'oof' and quickly got back up so that he wouldn't fall too far behind, only to fall down again. Tsuna pushed himself into a sitting position and looked down at his feet, only to see his shoelaces untied. Pouting, he reached down, hoping to get that fixed as soon as possible, but instead couldn't get his fingers to work correctly. His little digits were slightly numbed from the cold and he struggled to get the first loop together, messing up halfway.

The man remained standing where he was at, watching the scene carefully with those dark eyes of his, and grumbled under his breath when he saw Tsuna having some difficulties with his shoes. In all honesty, he didn't want to help some child. What he wanted was some sleep. That was it. But he couldn't help but pity the child, the poor boy had probably separated from his family by accident and couldn't get back. It was a sad case and anyway, he had time despite his desire for slumber. It wasn't as if he would be doing anything better or couldn't postpone his little nap. Reborn finally stepped closer and pulled his hands out of his pockets, kneeling down to give a helpful hand. He watched as Tsuna pause for a little, observing him with those large honey-colored eyes, and smirked. The kid was cute, adorable almost. He quickly tied the shoelaces before pulling back. "There. Now let's get going."

"T-Thanks."

However, soon after they passed the next street, Tsuna tripped and only because his shoe laces came undone once more. Reborn almost resisted to groan at that and shifted closer to see what was going on, not wanting to have any more delays. There were some tears beginning to form in Tsuna's eyes at the small scrape he'd earned from falling, but he held it in when Reborn came kneeling down again. The adult pulled out the same shoe he had previously tied to look it over and stared. This shoe was much too big for those tiny feet. It was like they were a size or two larger and it appeared to be the same for the other shoe. "Is this your older brother's shoe?"

Tsuna shook his head gently, those long brown locks swishing side to side. "No, Mama doesn't know what shoe size I have and just bought me my older brother's for me."

Now that made Reborn curious. "She doesn't know your shoe size? She's your mother, right?"

"Mama is always busy with my brothers."

'Ah, I see.' Reborn was tempted to reach up and rub his forehead. So the kid was neglected by his own parents because they were taking care of the older siblings. It wasn't uncommon after all. Still, it wasn't really his concern at this moment. Instead of bothering with wanting to repeat the same thing over and over again, he simply reached down and lifted Tsuna up into his arms. He hooked the child onto his right side and moved on, heading down the empty street. There was a cute squeak from the child and he felt Tsuna clinging onto him for dear life, but found himself not really minding. He had never been one to actually do such things.

Eventually, the man knew he needed to break the silence. "So, how old are you, Tsuna?"

From the corner of his eyes, he watched the child count with his fingers, calling out the numbers each time. Soon, he stopped at the last one, the one being his age. "I'm six."

"Six, huh? How did you get lost?"

Tsuna pouted, gripping tighter as he recalled the dog. "There was a monster chasing after me!"

Reborn didn't believe it, of course, but continued. "And where did you leave from?"

"School."

The adult didn't make any further conversations after that, getting the details he needed, and wandered into the nearest neighborhood he could find, guessing that this place would be better to check first than any. His eyes went over the houses, not really knowing which building was the right one, and only hoped that Tsuna would be able to spot it first. The sun was only halfway in the sky now, the clouds turning into shades of red, purple, and dark blue. The temperature was dropping as well and Reborn knew that he would need to get the kid home before it was nighttime. It wasn't safe to be out after dark for a child, much less in this rapidly cooling weather.

He could feel Tsuna tugging closer at him for warmth, well aware that the child was freezing and was beginning to shiver just slightly. Reborn peered down with those black eyes of his and pulled his jacket out from underneath to wrap the right side of it around the child. He needed to readjust his grip, but the extra coverage on Tsuna stopped the shivering and the child just hugged himself closer to Reborn's body for more of that heat.

"Was it this way?" Reborn asked, hoping to get some dialogue, and have the child looking out.

The brunet peered up from the shoulders before shaking his head. Reborn pointed out to another street, but got the same response. Eventually, he hit one after eight tries where he felt Tsuna shift on his side and smirked to himself. It looked like he had finally found something. Heading down that same pathway, he scrutinized for more streets and came to one where the brunet was eagerly pointing towards. "I know the way home now!"

"Really? That's good. Come on, I'll bring you there." Reborn almost wanted to smile at that innocent expression and within a few minutes, they were standing in front of a homey looking house with the lights on from the inside. The adult went towards it and dropped the child carefully onto the ground, watching as Tsuna ran forward to ring the doorbell.

Once the brunet did so, he spun around with a wide grin, looking completely at ease despite having a stranger come home with him. It didn't really matter at this point, he was just glad to be in the safety of his house. "Thanks so much, Reborn!"

The adult tilted his fedora as a response to let the other know he had heard and leaned over to the side of the gate. It was already dark now and he wanted to make sure that Tsuna got inside safely. It would be terrible of his gentleman behavior if he didn't. And yet, after a few moments, nothing happened. No one answered the door. Reborn was curious as to why and pulled away from the ledge, getting closer to the door. Seeing as no one answered the door, he went around to investigate one of the windows that had lights coming through and peered inside, noticing immediately that it was the kitchen on the other side.

There he could see a woman, most likely the mother of Tsuna, and two boys, who he suspected to be Tsuna's older siblings. Still, it was like they hadn't noticed the doorbell ringing, perhaps not hearing it, or that the youngest hadn't come home yet. The suspicions in his mind only became stronger about Tsuna being neglected. Reborn grumbled and went towards the front door to do things himself. Placing his hand over the door knob, he made a twisting action a few inches away and heard the door click in response. Reborn smirked and quietly jiggled the knob to open the door, letting both himself and Tsuna in. The brunet stared in inquisitiveness, wondering to himself if that move was some sort of magic act. But his thoughts were broken as he rushed inside, glad to be someplace warm.

Reborn was right behind and quickly examined the place, not bothering with his shoes as it was Japanese tradition to take them off at the front, but watched Tsuna do so. The child placed them carefully to the side, away from his brother's, before offering some thanks again. He had been a little depressed when no one had answered the door and had been almost afraid he might freeze outside all night until his family finally remembered where he was at. That was, if they ever do, sadly. They were prone to forgetting he even existed. Soon after, the child rushed off towards the kitchen to let Nana know he was finally home, hoping that he would finally get some sort of reaction.

"Mama, I'm home." Tsuna called out into the kitchen, well aware of the three sets of eyes that turned to him instantly. Reborn followed right behind, stopping beside the brunet, and leaned against the door frame. No one focused on him, only on Tsuna.

"Ah, Tsuna, were you in your room this whole time? Well, that's alright, dinner will be ready soon," Nana smiled brightly like nothing was wrong before turning back to the stove. "Ah, Giotto or Natsu, can you get the plates ready for me?"

The oldest of the siblings, Giotto, stood up from his seat with a slight grumble under his breath. The boy, looking about a few years older than the two others, had shoulder-length spiky blond hair and the brightest blue eyes anyone had ever seen. His face was calm, no ill intent, and appeared to be the most mature of the group, probably because he was the eldest. "I'll get them. Natsu, can you get the napkins?"

"Yeah, yeah." The other brother, looking a year older than Tsuna, made his way over to the cabinet to grab the needed materials. This brother had a lighter shade of brown hair, not as dark as Tsuna's, but the style was exactly the same as the younger. They had the same spikiness, but the eyes were a blue shade, just like Giotto's. In the end, no one really spoke about Reborn, who was obviously in view for everyone to see. Tsuna didn't seem bothered about it at all though and instead went around to Nana, who was finishing up the cooking at the stove.

"Mama, can Reborn eat with us?" He pulled at his mother's pants, trying to get her attention, and saw some confusion on her face when she turned to him.

Nana tilted her head at the announcement, lifting her spatula up in curiosity. "Who's this Reborn?"

Tsuna grinned brightly. "Reborn helped me get home today. Can he stay and eat with us?"

"Aww, that's so sweet. Where is this friend of yours?"

The brunet pointed towards the said person at the doorway. "He's right there."

Nana peered up, looking in the same direction. The other two siblings did the same and a similar expression was shared. "What do you mean? There's no one there."

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked at those words and peered over towards Reborn again. He could see the other clear as day, standing there, watching everything with those narrowed eyes. "But he's right there."

"Maybe it's just an imaginary friend," Giotto offered as he placed the plates onto the table. "He's at that age right now if I remember correctly. I learned this about a few days ago in class."

Nana seemed to string along by that idea, smiling to herself at how adorable her youngest was acting. "Aw, that's so cute. Come on, Giotto, let's place another plate for his friend."

Tsuna remained where he was at, confused at everything, and looked back at Reborn for a moment again, before finally moving away from his family. He immediately reached out to touch the adult, making sure that the person was actually physically there. Tsuna momentarily thought that his fingers would go right through, but he was met with the soft fibers of the fabric on his hands, rubbing into the material. More confusion appeared and he looked back at his busy family members then towards Reborn. He didn't get it. Why didn't anyone see the man he was touching?

Reborn almost sighed at the processing Tsuna was obviously going through and shifted the weight on his legs. He began to move away, not wanting to speak in front of the brunet. It wasn't as if the others could hear him after all, but he didn't want Tsuna to look like some oddball among his family. The brunet, of course, followed along, not wanting to leave his savior just yet.

"Hey, Reborn, how come only I can see you?" The child asked the moment Reborn stopped moving, tugging gently at the back ends of the jacket. He gave him those large tear-filled eyes and sniffed, almost wanting to cry. "A-Are you just imaginary?"

Reborn kneeled down and patted Tsuna's head gently, rubbing into the soft brown locks. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, this definitely contracting his normal personality. But the kid was just too cute to say 'no' to. "Can you feel that?"

Tsuna nodded.

"Then I'm real, but only you can see and hear me. Do you understand that?"

The brunet wiggled his nose, "So no one else can?"

"Correct."

"Okay." Tsuna nodded his head, not completely sure what Reborn had meant, but went along with it. Regardless, for him, it meant that he could have Reborn all to himself. Smiling happily, he ran back into the kitchen and grabbed two plates carefully, making sure to fill it up with the numerous amounts of food that was on there on the table. Nana just continued to smile, not bothered about the fact or noticing that Tsuna was moving away from the kitchen table to eat somewhere else. It wasn't as if Nana would notice.

The brothers did, but didn't say anything, though they did give a helping hand on pilling the plates with food to go along with the younger. Tsuna carefully watched where he stepped, holding the two plates unsteadily, until he went around the corner where Reborn immediately reached out for his share. He hadn't expected to stay over like this, but he didn't exactly mind. Can't complain when he was getting free food after all and delicious-looking, too. He could smell the strong scents radiating from everything and peered down at the struggling child before deciding to take his too. It wouldn't be good if Tsuna tripped and spilled everything on the floor.

"Where to?" Reborn asked, knowing he was nothing more than a stranger in this household.

"Living room." Tsuna rushed off, looking overly joyful, to the area.

Reborn simply followed along, wondering how this was going to go. He couldn't stay here after all, he had work to do. But still, that bright smile he saw on Tsuna just made him want to hold himself down here to be more than just a simple visitor. Still, he could think on that later…after dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

Reborn sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair as he looked toward the Sawada household from a distance. He hadn't meant to come back, but his curiosity about the child kept his mind occupied throughout the day. After all, it was rare for a human to actually see him when he didn't want anyone to.

Now, Reborn wasn't a demon or anything like that, he was more of an immortal being that existed on Earth to keep the order of the world. He and seven others were known as the Arcobaleno, beings who have lived for ages. Well, it might be eight considering the last was a failure but still continued to live among them. Either way, they contained supernatural abilities to help protect themselves and the world, keeping the balance when it was needed. But he didn't care much for his role, there hadn't been anything going on for decades and he doubted that would change anytime soon. So he just existed along with everyone else, wandering the Earth continuously, and rarely allowed his attention to stay on one thing, knowing it would disappear within a few years.

Still, humans were not allowed to see him unless he allowed it. This was normally meant to prevent questions based on their un-aging appearance. Still, Tsuna, a child, an average human child, could see him despite his attempt of remaining invisible and even interacted. It just left him surprised. Reborn, of course, immediately did some background checking on the family, but found nothing all that noteworthy. The husband, Iemitsu, who was never home, was working in a famous company called Vongola as the external adviser and rarely ever visited the family. Nana, the wife, remained home all day and placed more attention towards the older sons due to their demanding personalities. She unintentionally ignored the younger seeing as the two eldest would be taking over the company later in life when Tsuna would just be living as a normal citizen, shadowed by his older brothers.

Giotto, who would become the CEO of Vongola in the future, was the eldest by four years and was known for his grades and popularity in school. He was slightly arrogant, but kindhearted when it came to everyone he knew and enjoyed lending a helping hand when needed. He had a tendency to dote on the youngest brother whenever possible, but that became rare when he started his studies in the higher grades and began to hang out with his closest friends, who would most likely become his guardians later in life.

Natsu, being older than Tsuna by one year, was exactly the same as Giotto in personality. He excelled more in sports than the eldest and seemed to lack in the grades department, but it didn't matter. The external position of Vongola that he would be inheriting was more on brawn than brains to an extent. They were both well-known in the school, but Tsuna…

Tsuna was the opposite in everything: useless, easily overlooked, poor in his academics, everything that one could think so lowly of. He was clumsy in nature and overly feminine-looking compared to the older brothers. To Reborn, it also meant that Tsuna was being outshined by his own family members. It was too clear to see and far too obvious. The brunet was expected to exceed his brothers, or to do just as much as them. But in the end, he failed every time. And there was nothing the brunet could do but take in the scolds, taunts, and many other insults that were thrown his way.

However, despite all that, Reborn was still interested and made his way towards the house by jumping over the rooftops. It wasn't as if anyone would see him after all. He remained invisible to everyone's eyes and his abilities allowed him to move however he wanted with ease. Before, he had been lucky that no one had seen him carrying Tsuna or else it would have looked odd to their eyes, considering the fact that he was concealed.

It was only a few days ago they had met and once dinner was over; he had made sure to leave with the intention of never coming back. He didn't want to get any closer to the brunet than necessary. And yet, despite taking jobs of heading to different places, he made sure to pass by the household once a day. It was very time and energy consuming to make himself appear back in Namimori through the use of his powers, but never once did he think badly about it. Reborn found himself watching to see if the child's light was on in the bedroom during the night and if it was, he would stay there until he saw it turn off. If it was during the day, he would observe Tsuna during class or on his way to or from school. Reborn didn't understand why he felt so interested in the child; it was as if the boy was drawing out a sort of protective sensation from him.

Ordinary…that was all he could use to explain Tsuna. And yet he didn't understand why he wanted to see the child once more. Soon, the raven landed onto the rooftop of the house he had been looking out for and made his way around to look into the said window. He spotted Tsuna on the ground of his bedroom, looking over some homework and was clearly struggling on the material. Reborn almost chuckled at the confused expression and finally decided to go ahead and get this over with. Knocking on the glass, he watched as Tsuna jumped up in surprise and twisted towards him. There was a momentary startled expression before happiness shone through, his expression lighting up like a light bulb. Immediately, Tsuna ran up to the window and unlocked it, letting Reborn into the room.

"Reborn! You're back!" Tsuna grinned, "I-I thought that you l-left…"

The adult just smirked and leaned over. "I was just passing by and thought I could pay a visit."

"Yay!" The brunet reached over to grasp onto the older man, not wanting the other to leave anytime soon. His short arms and tiny hands could barely get around the older man, but it didn't matter. He was just glad that the raven was here. However, the moment Reborn went over to his homework, there was a fearful look in those eyes. "U-Umm…"

The adult didn't pay any attention to the other and looked over the simple math problems with an eyebrow raised. It seemed like the information he had collected was correct, Tsuna really didn't know anything. He couldn't even answer something like this. "All of these answers are wrong."

"Eh?"

"Everything is wrong, do it again," Reborn jabbed the sheets towards the brunet, eyes narrowed darkly as if daring the other to fight back. But Tsuna didn't. He grasped the papers clumsily and stared at the numbers, trying to work his brain around the formula. However, he didn't understand anything; everything just looked so foreign to him. And so, he just stared and stared and eventually handed it back in an effort to let the other know he didn't get it. Reborn sighed and smacked Tsuna on top of his head lightly. "Looks like you're going to suf-I mean need some tutoring."

He grinned evilly, almost breaking out into laughter at the rapidly paling expression of the brunet. Tsuna shivered fearfully and gulped, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

"Hmm, it seems you've managed to do well on your homework for once," The teacher examined over the paper carefully before shrugging his shoulders. He suspected that the older brothers had helped out; it wouldn't be too surprising considering how smart they were. But he didn't see any other handwriting besides Tsuna's scribbling that would have given that away. "Who helped you? Was it your brothers? Or your mother?"

"Reborn helped me." Tsuna blushed, glad that he had finally managed to pass a paper for once. He was going to have to say 'thank you' to Reborn later on for all the help he had given.

"Reborn?"

"My friend."

The teacher tilted his head at that. "A friend? What type of friend?"

Tsuna hummed to himself, not sure on how to reply to that. He wasn't sure either. He didn't know much on Reborn after all. "Don't know."

"How old is this friend?"

"Don't know."

The teacher just sighed and decided it wasn't worth asking about anymore. It wasn't as if Tsuna was really that important compared to the rest of the students in the class. The child was just one among thirty others. While, the teacher turned away, the brunet tucked away the paper so that he could show Reborn how proud he was of his accomplishment. It was only because of Reborn's harsh evil torturing (tutoring) that he was able to get this far. Tsuna smiled brightly to himself, feeling so excited, and once the bell rang to release him from school, he didn't hesitate to run all the way back home.

However, the moment he entered the house, Tsuna hesitated. He wasn't sure if Reborn would be in his house in the first place. Still, he went in, ignoring his mother, who was at the kitchen, cooking up something that would most likely be used later today for his older brothers and their friends, and went straight to his room. Hesitantly, he peeked inside, hoping to see the familiar fedora-wearing man.

But his hopes were crushed when he saw that the place was empty. Tsuna pouted, his fingers hanging limply onto the doorknob and sighed heavily. Looks like his first friend was gone again and so soon.

"What are you doing?"

Tsuna blinked, eyes wide with shock and yet happiness began to flood throughout his large orbs. He spun around, almost giving himself whiplash, and grinned, peering up towards the familiar person he had been originally looking for. "Reborn!"

The man raised an eyebrow at that and shook his head, stepping into the room. He had wandered off to do a quick job given by the Arcobaleno boss before coming back just before Tsuna arrived home. Using that free time, Reborn had done a quick investigation of all the rooms, making sure to further fill his information out on the setting he was in. Still, it was clear on one thing: Tsuna was definitely, no doubt, ignored. Giotto and Natsu's bedrooms were overly decorated with trophies, posters, books, and their beds were more defined. But Tsuna's room looked so empty, the white walls obvious to Reborn's eyes, with toys and clothes that were obviously hand-me-downs, and a bed with covers that looked poor in state. It was pitiful…and yet, Tsuna never once thought badly about his situation. Reborn could tell easily, the brunet was happy. It might not be high on the end, but it was there.

When he sat down to lean against the bed, he didn't mind when Tsuna plopped down at his side to lean against him. "What is it?"

"I-I thought you were going to leave again," The brunet almost felt like he was going to tear up, but resisted. "I-I'm glad you stayed."

Reborn felt like his heart throbbed at those words, tilting his fedora downwards to hide his expression. Such a cute child. Shaking his head, he reached over to knock the boy over the head. "Well, be glad I did."

Tsuna took the physical attack with glee, not minding at all, and turned around to search through his oversized bag. He pulled out a piece of paper, the same one he had worked on last night, and shoved it in front of Reborn. "Look! I did well! It's thanks to Reborn!"

"Oh? So you managed to pass. You understand the material, yes?"

"Yeah!"

"Good," Reborn momentarily turned away, wondering for a second why he suddenly felt so…proud of Tsuna's accomplishment. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the child. "Do you have any homework assigned for you today?"

The brunet flinched, but reluctantly nodded his head, pulling out the papers from his bag. It was some reading this time and many of the words looked really long from his point of view. He scrunched up his face, not understanding a single thing like usual, and peered up at the adult desperately for help. Reborn leaned over to get a better look and smirked, knowing he would be able to have some fun for the day.

"Alright, let's finish these up first and then you can play or do whatever you want." The raven gently snatched the sheets, quickly reviewing them over, before placing it onto the small table that is in the center of the room. He searched around for a pencil, holding it out for Tsuna to take once he got one.

The brunet stared at the scene before him, tilting his head slightly in confusion. Never once did he ever have someone help him with his homework before, not like this anyway. His older brothers had tried, but they too had their own to be concerned with and Nana was far too busy with the household work. And eventually, he fell behind in class. "R-Reborn?"

"Hm?"

"A-Are we friends?" Tsuna's chubby cheeks darkened in color slightly, embarrassed at having to ask. He wasn't sure after all.

Reborn snorted and tapped the brunet over the head. "If that's what you want to believe, then do so. Now do your homework or I'll have to punish you."

"Hiiee!" Rushing forward, Tsuna grabbed the pencil and began writing, trying to zoom through his papers. Though about a few minutes in, his eyes drifted up to the older man and smiled brightly. Reborn, of course, caught the grin and raised his eyebrow up slightly in confusion, wondering what the other was thinking about before knocking him on the head. He made a small mutter of 'don't waste time' and watched in satisfaction when Tsuna went back to work.

Placing his elbow against the table, the Arcobaleno used it as a pedestal for his chin and leaned over. Thoughts of why he was still here flooded his brain, but in the end, he knew it wasn't too bad staying with the child. A little bit of help in the homework wasn't going to harm anyone, right? Reborn narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw Tsuna write an incorrect word and immediately pointed it out with a light flick to the forehead.

Yeah, there wasn't any harm in just giving a little help.


	3. Chapter 3

Reborn sighed as he peered around the tiny dull bedroom, settled on the floor of it. He leaned against the bedpost that was along the way, his mind still going over the details about the Sawada family. He couldn't help but still be curious about the cute little brunet that seemed to be easily grabbing his attention like no one else could in a long time. It was still odd, but he didn't care much like before and hung around the house until Tsuna came back from school, which actually should be soon by the look of the clock.

His sharp hearing picked up the sounds of the front door unlocking and listened intently to see if it was the younger sibling or the older ones. By the sounds of the laughter and heavy footsteps from below, the hitman sighed, knowing it was the elder ones along with a few friends. He listened to the loud conversations that were going on below the floor boards, quickly identifying them as nine people in total along with Nana. They were quite loud, enough so that Reborn could pick up all the words easily, with a few arguments here and there tossed around. All in all, they weren't quite interesting to listen to. The conversations sounded just like someone their age.

And then, the door opened up again, this time with small footsteps rushing inside. Reborn sat up a little straighter when he recognized who they could only belong to, his ears following the feet as they made their way up the stairs towards the bedroom he is dwelling within. A small smile slipped its way onto his lips. However, when he listened closer, he stopped, frowning. The steps were lighter in touch…like they were wounded or something. Perking up at that passing thought, Reborn scooted himself across the bed and turned his attention towards the door, waiting for it to open up. As it did, creaking open slowly with Tsuna's tiny hands grasping the doorknob weakly, the brunet stumbled in with a limp at each step. Reborn's dark eyes took in Tsuna's…appearance and growled.

There was low sniff and an arm came up to wipe the nose where snot was dripping down. The brunet's large honey-colored eyes were bright red, obvious that he had been crying for a long time and still was about to, if the lingering liquids under the eyes that were threatening to fall at any moment didn't say anything. When Tsuna blinked, those tears fell, curling down to his chin to fall off. It would either blemish the top of his shirt or disappear onto the floor. The puffy cheeks were tearstained, various lines glimmering in the sunlight that was shining through the open window, and the normally spiky hair was covered in…mud? Reborn narrowed his eyes at that and jumped up from the tiny bed, making his way over to the still crying child. He grasped the shoulders tightly, snapping Tsuna's attention towards him before speaking, "What happened?"

His black eyes went over the appearance, observing everything and refused to miss any little detail. Relief momentarily filled him when he spotted no major injuries before it was shoved away by the rest of the appearance. Tsuna's clothes were ruffled up like it had been overly stretched and there were a couple of tears at the corners of the shirt and shorts. Splotches of mud looked like they had been thrown at the child from up close, staining the once clean clothes, and some looked like they had been purposefully rubbed in from the looks of the dried marks of fingerprints. There were some bruises and scrapes where Tsuna had been pushed down, creating some open wounds that were bleeding lightly, mixing with the dirt that surrounded it. One shoe was currently missing and the backpack was beaten, caked with mud as well. All in all, Tsuna was a mess.

The brunet kept crying quietly, the tears continuously dropping, and only paused momentarily when Reborn reached out to pat his head gently. Tsuna sniffed and blinked his eyes multiple times, letting more tears fall as he stared up at Reborn. That one motion had calmed him down considerably and he leaned into the large hand for comfort.

"What happened?" Reborn asked again, his voice stern and strong, but weak enough to not scare the child.

"S-Some k-kids were ma-making fun of me!" Tsuna managed to wail out, closing his eyes shut, but seemed to calm further the more Reborn rubbed his hand into the hair. Some dirt managed to get onto the adult, but the raven knew he could easily wash it off with some water. Reborn momentarily pulled back and took off his jacket, fedora, and his tie, tossing it to the bed without care on how it landed. Soon after, he made his way around the room, grabbing some extra clothes for Tsuna to change into.

"Come on, you need to take a bath. And those wounds need to be cleaned before they get infected." Reborn began to nudge Tsuna ahead, pushing him towards the bathroom that was right outside the bedroom door. His ears picked up the sounds of Nana in the kitchen, humming to herself without a care in the world, as well as the brothers with their friends talking freely and for a moment, he almost wanted stomp downstairs to demand why they were so foolish. But he resisted; he had more important things to deal with right now. When they got inside the bathroom, Reborn locked the door behind so that there would be interruptions and let the brunet sit on top of the toilet with the lid down. Those tiny legs swung back and forth and Tsuna bit down on his bottom lip, wiggling his nose. It was a cute sight to see with those giant eyes peering up at Reborn with such innocence. Soon, the hitman began to move around, heading straight towards the shower to turn it on, letting it warm up, before grabbing some towels to put to the side. When he finished getting everything set up, he turned his attention towards Tsuna once more. "Now, I need you to take off your clothes. You can't stay in them. They're dirty."

The brunet looked a little hesitant at first before complying; peeling his clothes off like it was glued to his skin. He struggled slightly before Reborn came to help, yanking the shirt up from the top when Tsuna threw his arms up into the air. The rest of the clothes managed to slip off easier and the brunet fumbled towards the tub, his skin still covered in dirt that was just beginning to dry and flake off. Using some help from a small nearby stool, he managed to crawl in and wiggled his nose the moment he felt the water pelting against his body from above. He closed his eyes immediately, looking up into the spray, before pulling away, wiping his eyes to see. It had always been difficult to take a bath due to the fact he was so short, he could barely reach the knobs without needing to stretch, and Nana would rarely help him. But Reborn remained close by, tossing the dirty clothes into the wash bin, and laid out the fresh ones onto the closed toilet once cleaned. The bathroom mirror was just beginning to fog up and the air was thick with steam, moist from the water. When the adult figured that everything was set, he began to roll up the sleeves on his shirt and sat down next to the tub where the curtains were slightly open, just enough to not allow the water to escape.

Tsuna tilted his head to the side curiously, wondering why Reborn was sitting there and not closing the curtain to give him privacy. He didn't understand. "Reborn?" The child could feel the water washing away the dirt on him, revealing the bruises and cuts underneath with some of the dried blood vanishing as well. It gave him a clear examination of the redness and flesh that was revealed. The warm liquid stung a little from going over the wounds, but it wasn't as much as before, and there was a numbing sensation beginning to grow from within the pain.

Reborn reached over to the shampoo bottle, squirting some of the thick liquid onto the palm of his hand, his intention obvious. Tsuna stared for a few moments, trying to process what was going to happen, before feeling his cheeks darken. He bended over, revealing his flattened locks, and braced himself with his palms in front. Reborn's much larger hands went through the caramel-colored hair, making sure that each and every spot was covered in suds, massaging deep into the scalp. The brunet had his eyes closed tightly shut, not wanting any of the shampoo to get inside, and tried to stay still for as long as possible. Normally, Reborn would never do something like this for anyone, _never_. But for Tsuna, for a little six years old child that was abandoned and bullied, he could make the exception. The child just knew how to bring out the protectiveness that was buried deep within his soul.

As his fingers went through the hair, feeling the softness of the locks, he listened to the little grunts the brunet made each time he push against the skull. He could already see the dirty suds slipping down the head, trying to direct it away from the face by moving the head back. Eventually, he finished and pushed Tsuna under the spray of water, continuing to rub into the hair until he couldn't see any more dirt and there was nothing but pristine color.

Tsuna made no sound, following the directions Reborn spoke closely despite the blur of the water around his ears, and allowed himself to be pushed around. He didn't mind it even when Reborn started rubbing a washcloth with soap along his tiny body after placing the conditioner into his hair. The adult was thorough in everything, making sure to clean each cut and scrape so that there would be no future infections, and only hesitated when he started to work his way down to the thighs. "Tsuna."

The child peered up in question, remaining quiet as he felt the water continue to hit his body, just avoiding his face and hair. His eyes were open, watching everything closely.

"I need you to wash your private area yourself. Here," Reborn tossed the washcloth over and turned slightly away to increase the temperature of the water. It had been on for too long and the heat was just beginning to cool down. While he did that, Tsuna did as he was told, cleaning down below, and finished by the time Reborn turned back. The adult took the cloth back, pouring more soap onto it before continuing to the legs and feet. He found it funny that he was doing such things in the first place. It was ridiculous that he would be cleaning another human being, but he couldn't find himself minding just like he didn't mind being around the child. As he got to the toes, Tsuna began to squirm.

"T-That ti-tickles!" A loud giggle escaped Tsuna's lips, trying to prevent Reborn from continuing, and accidently kicked his foot away when the adult hit that spot again. "S-Stop that!"

However, Reborn just smirked. "Oh? How about this then?" He dropped the cloth and used his bare fingers, sliding them over the center of the foot. Another set of laughter erupted from the brunet; tumbling back to gain some distance, but Reborn's grip is much stronger. The adult continued his attack, not giving the child any rest, and yanked the single foot closer to work better. Tsuna's head was resting against the bottom of the tub, lying on his back, and simply continued to laugh like there was no tomorrow. He squirmed along the floor, not bothered by the puddle around him or by the shower above. After what seemed like an eternity for Tsuna, Reborn stopped, dropping the foot, and gave a sinister smirk. "Well, I think you're perfectly clean now. Rinse your hair under the water before getting out."

Slowly, he got up, listening to the crackles from his legs from sitting down too long, and made his way to the towel. Reborn was well aware that Tsuna was pouting from behind, pressing up against the side of the tub to stare over. But he knew the child would follow his directions and came back with the clean towel, wrapping it around the tiny body carefully once Tsuna scuttled back over. The child held onto it as Reborn shut off the water and began to dry him off, careful in dodging the still sore wounds. He managed to slip on some underwear that was already prepared for him before letting the adult further clean and place the bandages over his cuts. Most of them went onto his elbow and knees where he had fallen and some unmentionables.

"So, are you going to tell me why they were making fun of you?" Reborn finally questioned now that Tsuna is cleaned up and calm, his curiosity on the matter growing strong after seeing the extent of the damage. His fingers were twitching for his gun, ready to fire at any moron that got mentioned.

The child was quiet for a few moments before finally speaking, "T-Th-They were accusing me of cheating. I-I'm known as Dame-Tsuna in school, I'm useless in everything. A-And ever since you started helping me, m-my grades got better. E-Everyone thought I must be cheating." More tears were about to well up in his large eyes but a sharp whack on the head prevented that.

"You're not cheating. You _earned_ those grades. Don't listen to those idiots. You know yourself that you're not cheating," Reborn commented, watching as Tsuna slip on the rest of his clothes, and reached over to grab the used towel, tossing it into the bin with everything else. "You had a test yesterday, yes?"

Tsuna nodded, rushing over to his room once he managed to unlock the bathroom door to where his school bag was located at. His tiny fingers went through the numerous papers and yanked out one in particular, revealing it to Reborn with the largest smile on his face. "Look! I got a 95 on my test! I'm finally understand the questions."

A flutter of pride crossed Reborn's chest when he saw that grade, he was…proud of Tsuna's accomplishment. He smirked and gave a soft pat on the head. "Congratulations. And I take it that this was the grade that called you out. By the way, it's 'understanding', not 'understand'," Tsuna pouted once more, lowering the paper slightly, but Reborn chuckled. "Anyway, ignore them, they aren't worth the trouble. Now, are you going to show that grade to Nana?"

The brunet clearly hesitated and Reborn could only sigh in return, sitting down onto the bed that was way too small for someone like him. It would need to be extended by almost a foot before he could actually lie down comfortably. Tsuna stepped closer and plopped next to him, looking up at the adult with those wide virtuous eyes of his, ones that were hard to resist for anyone. Even Reborn felt like he was being swept away by them.

Still, it just made the protective feelings inside surface. He didn't understand why he wanted to do so much for a child he hardly knew. It was unethical, unbelievable, and yet he is still there. Reborn almost grumbled under his breath, but kept his normal appearance, never letting his expression change. He knew deep within that he would be coming here more often.


	4. Chapter 4

Tsuna was happy, cheerfully happy, and there were multiple reasons as to why he would be this joyful. The first one was that it was Friday, the last day of school for the week, and school had just ended, giving him that freedom he desired. Despite his attempts in making the best with his classmates there, he hated it and always desired to head back home. And there was the fact that Reborn was there waiting for him. The second reason was that the moment he stepped outside the school, his eyes drifted immediately to the front where he spotted a familiar man standing at the corner. 'Reborn!'

Smiling brightly, Tsuna ignored the rest of the world as he rushed forward, trying not to trip along the way, and crashed straight into Reborn's legs. His short arms went around, gripping tightly, and gave a small squeal in happiness. Amazingly, no one seemed to care about the situation, no, they gave a passing glance and went on. Tsuna noticed it immediately, but didn't think far on it. He heard an amused chuckle from above that instantaneously distracted him and then a large hand reached down to pat his head gently.

"Reborn!" Tsuna kept his tight grip, not wanting to let go, and continued to grin. "Are you here to pick me up? You've never picked me up before."

"Yeah, thought I might as well today. I had nothing better to do," Reborn chuckled, finding the reactions Tsuna gave him just adorable and unique. It wasn't something he got to experience often. He had always been feared throughout his entire life, from his looks to his profession, but Tsuna liked him just the way he was despite the times he became the scary being that everyone was scared of. The brunet might cower, but once Reborn had calmed down, the child was back to clinging, smiling as if nothing had ever happened. And even more so, he had come right back after the one time Reborn had literally hit the child over the head during a frustrating moment of teaching. Tsuna had looked upset at the hit and didn't seem particularly bothered by it, except for that pout of his. It was funny how fast their relationship with each other had transformed even though they had only known each other for two weeks and yet, it felt like they had been together since forever. Reborn flicked his fedora upward to get a better visual of the child. "Would you like to get some ice cream? I saw you had aced your test yesterday and thought it would be nice to treat you as a reward. You've been working very hard these past few days."

"R-Really?" The brunet unattached himself so that he could look into those dark eyes easier and grinned. Reborn kneeled down to the child and patted the top of the head, rubbing his fingers into the soft brown locks. His dark eyes connected with a few other kids that passed by and gave a slight glare, getting them to scurry off. Still, Tsuna didn't question that fact that Reborn was seeable. No, the brunet's attention was focused on something else and reached forward to grasp the yellow button-up shirt before him. "R-Really? Really?"

"Yes, now let's go. I can't have you staying out too late." Reborn chuckled and stood up, rotating around to start making their way towards the shopping center. There were plenty of places they could eat at, but there was one store in particular there that had some of the best ice cream. Or at least, that was what he'd heard through rumors. But it didn't matter, he could eat almost anything as long as it was decent and he doubted Tsuna would be able to tell the difference. However, due to the fact that he would need to be visible to the human eye in order to request and pay for everything, he focused on his physical body, letting it change as he willed. It was the main reason why the other children from school had been able to see him, and anyway, he didn't want the brunet to look like a freak by hugging some open space, not when he was being bullied enough as it was. There was also the fact that people would question why a six-year-old was out wandering the streets on his own. It was just safer and easier to have himself out and about.

As they made their way down the streets, he felt Tsuna reaching over to grasp the fabric on his leg, holding onto him tightly. Reborn didn't let himself get bothered by it, continuing on considering Tsuna's scaredy-cat personality, but he did make sure to keep his pace slow so that the child could keep up. He didn't want to accidently start dragging the poor child along just because of the fact his legs were longer than the brunet's. As they reached the crowds, he felt the grip on him tightening and glanced around the area, examining the large amount of people. The crowds were bustling, stores ringing up items, and yet Tsuna continued to cling onto him for dear life. It was like the child was afraid of letting go and getting lost again like last time regardless that it had lead them together. Reborn didn't mind though, he allowed it as long as Tsuna didn't get in the way of his steps, and the brunet didn't. It was like he knew when to move to the side to allow the raven to shift freely.

They neared the small store he had heard about and opened the door to let Tsuna in first, watching the sight of the brunet smiling, brightening up at the various displays of goodies. The man pointed towards a table close to the back where he could still see the front window clearly. It was a habit he couldn't stop, but it had helped him many times in the past. Tsuna followed the directions immediately and sat down with some difficulties since the seat was so high up, struggling to get over the top. Reborn chuckled in amusement and stepped closer, patting the brunet on the head as if saying 'good job'. As Tsuna remained there, the raven went to the front of the store to order, already knowing what the brunet wanted even before asking. It was too obvious.

"Welcome, sir! How can I help you?" The cashier blushed a little at the sight of the handsome man, mentally squealing in delight. It was like she had hit the jackpot.

Reborn ignored the sparkling eyes for now. "Yes, can I get two cones? One with Cookies n' Cream and the other coffee-flavored?"

"Right away." Immediately, the cashier wandered off to get the order, finishing the first one quickly, and handed it over the bar where the various frozen ice creams were located underneath. It was the Cookies n' Cream, Tsuna's, and it went straight to the brunet's little hands, who took it with delight. Muttering a small 'thank you' from those tiny lips, Tsuna immediately began licking his treat happily, fully enjoying it. Reborn smiled softly at the sight, keeping his expression hidden underneath his fedora, before turning back to get his own and pay for everything. He grasped onto the second cone, knowing that the girl had flinched at his touch and blushed wildly. Reborn was almost tempted to shake his head, but resisted, keeping his gentlemanly behavior up like normal, and placed a few bills over, just enough to pay for everything. It was always fun to make women fall deep in love him whenever he appeared. Still, he had more important things to do and held onto his ice cream, heading straight over to Tsuna to sit on the other side of the table. As he did so, he made sure to grab a few napkins just in case, not sure if the brunet would make a mess or not.

"Do you like it, Tsuna?" Reborn asked after a few licks of his own, making sure to not let it melt around the edges. His eyes watched the brunet nod his head happily, clearly enjoying the ice-cold treat. "Now watch it, you don't want it to get all over your hands, now do we?"

Tsuna, catching the comment, pulled back for a moment to look over the cone to see if there were any dripping spots. Seeing none, he made sure to swirl his tongue around the bottom of the goodness. Reborn just smirked and went on with his own, staring out the window to watch as people went by. He didn't get long to do so before the cashier came around with a smile, her intentions clear.

"Sir, is this your son by any chance?" She smiled happily, cooing at the almost father-son setting before her.

Reborn almost looked startled at that, not expecting such a revelation. He flicked his fedora upwards to get a better look of the cashier and then at Tsuna. It did look like they were having a moment. "No, he's not my son. I'm just taking care of him. He's been a good boy these past few days so I decided to treat him."

Tsuna nodded his head, swinging his feet back and forth on the chair, since he couldn't touch the ground. "I've been getting A's in class!"

"Aww, that's so sweet!" The cashier continued to coo at the sight, finding it absolutely adorable. She had forgotten her intention in asking the older man out or, at least, grabbing his number. "Are you _sure_ you're not his father?"

"No, I'm not."

Tsuna blinked curiously, thinking over the words in his mind. 'Father? Do I have a father? Mama said I do, but he's traveling…then what?' His large honey-colored orbs stared at Reborn curiously, tilting his head as he continued to lick his ice-cream happily. Shrugging his shoulders, he went back to his food, it required more concentration than anything else.

* * *

"Tsuna, where have you been?" Nana scolded as she looked down at her youngest son, staring straight at him with narrowed yet scared eyes. Apparently, she hadn't realized until later that he hadn't come home from school and was just about to ask around when Tsuna walked in.

The brunet shivered under the stare and sniffed. "R-Reborn and I went out for ice-cream after school."

"Reborn?" There was a momentary confusion on her face before realization occurred. "Oh, your imaginary friend, right?" Nana looked over her son, checking for anything unusual, but there was nothing wrong. The child looked the same as he had left this morning. She sighed, relaxing at knowing her son was alright.

Reborn leaned against the wall, keeping Tsuna accompanied like normal, and kept watch while remaining invisible to the others' eyes. He didn't like to leave the child alone, it was hard to, especially when the boy is so sweet.

"Well, as long as you're okay. But next time, make sure to let me know beforehand. I was really worried." Nana sighed, turning around to head back into the living room where she had been cleaning, leaving the two alone. Tsuna pouted and rotated towards Reborn with questioning eyes, only to be patted on the head. The large hand managed to cover most of his cranium, flattening his brown locks out, and sent some of his bangs dangling across his eyes. He squealed softly and nudged closer into the arm, happy that the person he liked the most wasn't mad at him either.

"Don't think anything wrong towards your mother. She was only thinking about you." Reborn reminded and pointed up towards Tsuna's bedroom, trying to calm the child down before he did or said something wrong. It really wasn't Nana's fault. Stepping up the stairs, Tsuna followed right beside, glad that Reborn hadn't left yet, and ran into his room, flopping down onto the floor. The raven closed the door behind, not wanting anyone to stumble across the brunet during something that could be considered weird in their eyes. The adult went towards the bed and lied down on top, finding it awkward since it was so small. But he managed to get himself comfortable. That was, until Tsuna jumped up onto the bed and landed right on top of him.

Reborn let out a little 'oof', slightly uncomfortable with the extra weight on top of his stomach, but managed. He plucked off his fedora and tossed it to the side, letting his spiky black locks free from the confinements. His hands wandered over the child, listening to the other laugh at the ticklish sensations, and settled at the waist to prevent Tsuna from tumbling off to the floor, before chuckling. "What?"

"Are you sleepy?" The brunet huffed, rolling to one side once he managed to get free of Reborn's strong grasp, and looked up into those black eyes.

"No, not really. Why?"

"Just asking." Tsuna smiled and curled up against the adult, laughing gently to himself. Reborn didn't ask anything, keeping quiet, and lifted his arm up to pat Tsuna on the head, running his fingers through the soft brown hair. He remained still, staring up at the ceiling in a sleepy daze, and then peered out the window. Reborn watched as the clouds slowly moved to one side, inching along ever so slowly, and eventually grew bored. He turned his attention towards the room once more, finding it dull in color and taste compared to the other bedrooms as usual. For some odd reason, he wanted nothing more than to decorate it to a child's taste. Those plain white walls were getting annoying after all. As Reborn thought to himself, trapped within his own mind, he hadn't realized until later when he decided to come out of it that thirty minutes had passed. He tried to shift his body to get into a better position when the weight on him refused to budge. Dark eyes trailing down at the child, Reborn chuckled gently, recognizing the now-sleeping child on his side who was slumbering peacefully without a care in the world.

He stared for a few moments, wondering what he should do before mentally shrugging his shoulders. There was no harm in letting Tsuna sleep on him; the boy looked tired enough as it was. Still, the position he was in wasn't the best, it was beginning to strain his legs. He moved around, taking Tsuna with him. Eventually, it got to the point where he was lying on the pillow of the tiny bed, tucking his long feet in to prevent them from falling off the edge. It was too short, that was for certain, but it would have to do for now. Tsuna was now repositioned where the child's head was resting on his arm for a pillow, curled up almost like a little cat, no, kitten. All he was missing was the little tail and ears.

Observing for a few moments longer, he closed his eyes. 'Hmm, some rest shouldn't hurt. Not as if I have anything better to do anyway. And there hadn't been any jobs for a while too.' With that in mind, he let himself drift off, well aware of Tsuna shifting closer for warmth. Reborn couldn't help but bring his other arm around, yanking the child closer against him.


	5. Chapter 5

Reborn shifted his foot slightly, taking aim at the idiot he had been asked to take care of. Still, he didn't care much about what he was about to do. It was just a job Luce, the boss of the Arcobaleno, had given him to quell his boredom of the world and to give him something to do. It was clear that she was trying to help, but even she ran out of missions to give him when there wasn't much to do. In any case, his interest had been more on Tsuna these days than taking jobs, keeping the child company and helping him when asked. It wasn't as if he had something better to do and even sleeping got old after a while. He had hundreds of years in the future to do that and Tsuna was a one-of-a-kind child.

Cleaning his smoking gun, he tucked it into the holster underneath his jacket and stepped away from the murder scene he had a hand in creating. He was invisible to the eye once more and made his way through the crowd of people without much problem. His body was like the mist after all, able to shift through everything with ease. Without noticing, he had accidentally turned towards the elementary school Tsuna normally went to during the weekdays.

'Ah, might as well.' Shrugging his shoulders, he entered the grounds, peering around for anyone within the area. He could see some parents already waiting outside, either standing at the gate or sitting in cars. Many were chatting among each other happily, trading secrets or just talking about their days. Of course, Nana was nowhere in sight. Peering down at his watch, it was almost time for release, the bell ringing a few moments after he reached the center of the grounds. It was like a crowd of people piled through the doors, parents detaching from each other to look for their children. It looked like a normal setting, one of happiness and love. He even saw Natsu with his group of friends hurdling out the doors together. His onyx eyes went over each and every one of them, his mind already identifying the names. It was funny how similar the two older siblings were. While Giotto had his group of six close friends, the younger siblings or cousins of those friends became Natsu's. They were a close batch, never leaving each other on their own for too long. Of course, it was those said friends that prevented the brothers from being around Tsuna.

Reborn continued to watch and wait, searching for that familiar bundle of brown hair to pop out of the door. Except, as the hitman continued to linger, the brunet never appeared. Even after the crowd died down, Tsuna never showed up. Reborn peered down at his watch once more, checking the time. It was unusual that the child would stay back, very unusual and unlike him. The only reason Tsuna would stay back was if he got…

Narrowing his eyes at his train of thought, he immediately entered the building and stalked through, making sure that his footsteps were silent to not alert anyone of his presence. Though no one except Tsuna could see him, they could still hear the heels of his shoes clicking across the tiled floor if he wasn't careful. It would be funny if someone mistook the sounds for a ghost because of his movements, but he could do that at a later time. He had more important things occupying his mind.

As he got to closer to the center of the first floor of the school, he heard a voice echoing through one of the hallways and paused. He knew that voice anywhere, that soft yet high-pitched sound. It could only belong to one person. His eyes peered around the area, looking out for any teachers or other children, but the place was empty. The teachers were outside with the parents, waving goodbye to the children, while others were probably in their offices to finish off work for the day. Stepping towards the sounds, he sped up his pace until he got to the classroom where he could hear the talking in the background, behind the walls. He recognized Tsuna's voice among the group, but there were four others he couldn't identify at all. Deciding not to open the door just to view the scene, he simply slipped right through the wooden frame and looked over the situation before him. Reborn sneered hatefully. There in the center of the room was Tsuna, cowering on the floor in fear and bawling his eyes out. The four other kids were yelling out words that Reborn could only further narrow his eyes at, his fingers digging into the palm of his hands.

"Dame-Tsuna, such a loser!"

"I bet you were the reason as to why your Papa left your family!"

"It's your entire fault that we suck against other classes!"

"I heard you were getting better grades in class, I bet you've been cheating!"

"Who've been cheating off of, Dame-Tsuna? The girl next to you?"

Tsuna stifled his cries, tears continuing to fall from his face. It was enough that Reborn immediately intervened, making his presence known throughout the entire classroom.

"Hey," The hitman's dark voice was booming as he spoke, catching everyone's attention instantly. He'd had more than enough of this nonsense and seeing Tsuna cry like that just made him snap. His body was visible for everyone to see and his eyes were positively glaring at all the children except for Tsuna. The brunet peeked up curiously, not sure on why the taunting voices had stopped, before happiness shone in his eyes and he stood up shakily to run over to Reborn's side. He gripped onto the jacket like it was a protective blanket and cowered behind the long legs. Tears were still falling from his eyes, but it was no longer as bad, knowing that the raven would protect him from the bullies. Reborn continued to glare, watching in satisfaction when the children cowered under his gaze. "If I see any one of you messing with Tsuna here again, I'll make sure I'll be the last thing you see before you die."

One of the children was about to stupidly open his mouth and probably say something unwise when Reborn struck. He snapped out one of his guns, a sharp clicking sound was heard as the safety went off, and fired. Four bullets went around the kids, hitting the wall behind them, and he listened to them scream in satisfaction, watching as a few urinated in their pants in fear. He chuckled darkly before putting his weapon away and motioned the brunet to follow beside him, leaving the idiots behind in the classroom. Tsuna kept quiet the entire time, jogging to keep up, and tightened his hold onto the end of Reborn's jacket. His cheeks were bright red and his nose was still running, dripping down, forcing him to use his sleeve to wipe it. The hitman almost gave a disgusted expression when he saw a shiny line of snot on it and shoved the child towards the boy's bathroom to get cleaned. He opened the door, letting the child wobble in, and pointed straight to the toilet paper. "Use that to blow your nose. Now."

Tsuna blinked curiously, some tears fell down from that movement, but complied. He went into one of the cubicles and pulled out some of the paper on the roll, tearing it off. His eyes peered curiously over the rough paper on his fingers before finally blowing his nose. Disgusting sounds filled the air in that one moment then stopped.

Reborn remained where he was standing, refusing to lean against a wall. He knew about boys at this age and he'd rather not get anything he didn't want on him by mistake. Seeing as Tsuna was done, he pointed towards the trashcan. The brunet complied and came back, tilting his head inquisitively on what he had to do next. The Arcobaleno sighed and placed a welcoming hand over the right shoulder, dragging Tsuna towards the sink. "Now wash your face and hands. After that, we'll start heading home."

Tsuna remained quiet throughout the entire process, letting a few sniffs here and there, but he had calmed down. His eyes were still red and swollen and his cheeks were puffed out, tearstained even after washing his face. Reborn examined the tiny body further, looking for any wounds or bruises, but found none. He even rinsed the spot where Tsuna had wiped his nose against his sleeve. As the brunet went to dry his face, Reborn finally asked, "Were they only saying mean things about you?"

"Yeah."

"So they didn't hurt you physically, right?"

"Yeah."

Reborn folded his arms then made his way over to the front door to the bathroom, opening it up for Tsuna to follow. "I do hope you know that those words aren't true."

"B-But! Aren't they?" Tsuna hiccupped and rubbed his eyes to prevent more fluids from falling down. "T-They talked about Papa. B-But I don't even remember him! A-And I'm bringing down the c-class with my g-grades! Everyone hates me!"

The hitman glanced down the hallways both sides before leaning down onto one knee, giving Tsuna a warm smile that seemed to melt the child away. Smiling wasn't his thing, but the brunet deserved it after what he'd been through. "Listen to me, your father is the one to blame for not coming back. And your grades are rising with my tutoring so before long, you might be on par or better than everyone else. It just takes time."

Tsuna stared with those large honey-colored eyes, blinking rapidly, before he scrunched his fingers in-between his hands together in front as a ball against his stomach. "D-Does that mean you'll be staying with me for a while?"

The adult paused for a moment. He hadn't really thought that far on actually staying. Visiting, yes, but staying? That might be a little difficult considering his presence in the house wasn't exactly small. It was sometimes a chore to make sure he didn't do anything that might alert the rest of the family about him. Still, those large eyes were hard to resist and he eventually gave in, knowing it was for the best. There was no doubt in his mind that he was beginning to get attached to the boy. Tsuna was just so innocent, so kind that it brought out all the old protective feelings he had buried long ago. Reborn reached over to pinch a cheek, listening to a cute high-pitched squeak. "Of course, I'll stay around. But that bed of yours is too small to fit me as well. You'll need a bigger one."

"O-Oh…" Despite those last words, Tsuna was grinning brightly and jumped forward, bringing his arms around the older man's neck. He rapidly muttered a number of 'thank you's under his breath and tightened his hold happily. His left cheek rubbed against Reborn's, feeling the curl brushing against his skin, and he heard a small uncomfortable grunt from the other. He giggled, bouncing against Reborn's grip once those larger arms went around lifting him up into the air. His feet dangled wildly, squealing, and he had a massive grin on his expression as he pulled his head back to look at the adult's. Reborn could only shake his head in amusement, despite the influence Tsuna had on him, and began to walk off towards the exit. He placed the brunet on one arm, holding him up with ease, and Tsuna buried his face into the confines of Reborn's neck. "Thank you, Reborn. I'm really happy about this."

"I can tell."

"Ne, what do you think Mama is going to cook tonight?"

Reborn chuckled. "Hmm, not sure. We'll just have to wait and see later tonight, after you're done with your homework."

"Aww, okay," There was a pout and the hitman avoided looking at it just in case. They were making their way out of the empty school, heading down the walkways back home. A few people threw some odd glances at them, most resting on Reborn's attractive looks, before moving on. It wasn't as if Tsuna was recognizable without Nana or his brothers being there beside him considering his reputation of being shy. "Hey, Reborn?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you wear a suit? And that hat?"

The hitman almost wanted to laugh at the question. "Because I want to look my best every day. Don't you?"

Tsuna tilted his head slightly to the right, wiggling his nose. "Don't know. I can't really look my best."

'Ah, that's right. He doesn't have much to wear since his clothes are mostly hand-me-downs.' His eyes peered over the uniform that looked worn out, most likely coming from Natsu from the previous year. The shoes definitely needed to be replaced as well along with the socks that were starting to tear. "I'm going to take you clothes shopping one day. You need a new wardrobe. Definitely. I think orange will look great on you, maybe some white and black, too. And there's still that new bed I should order for you too so that I have somewhere to stay."

Tsuna just smiled along, not entirely getting what Reborn was saying. He found out pretty fast that he liked being carried, it was kinda nice. Burying his head under Reborn's, he closed his eyes and relaxed into the hold.


	6. Chapter 6

Reborn found it incredibly easy to get to Nana's wallet, much less, to her various credit cards that were stacked within. He mentally shook his head at the sight as he thumbed through the various pockets. She was just too easy as a victim for anyone to take advantage of if they stole her purse, but it worked in his favor for the time being. Reborn smirked as he pulled out various cards to examine them carefully, making sure he chose the right one that would cover his tracks. Now, with these in his hands, he had the ability to use the money for Tsuna. He would use his own, but he didn't want anything being traced back to his accounts, it would be too annoying and there would be too much to explain when they got to the end. Though, he doubted they would get that far since he had been hiding his money for hundreds of years through the bank systems, but he wanted to be careful just in case. That and he didn't want Luce to get on his case since she helped keep the Arcobaleno's identities a secret to the rest of the world.

Pulling out the credit cards once more, he quickly identified which was used more often just by looking at the wear on the black stripe on the back. Normally, he would go for the less often one but, in Nana's case, it was the opposite. She spent so much on her older sons and the household itself that a _little_ extra charge on her card wouldn't be that noticeable among the rest of the bills. It would just hide among everything else and anyway, it wasn't as much compared to some of her older son's lavishing ideas. She really was too simple.

Peering towards the ignorant woman around the corner, his dark onyx eyes watched as she hummed happily to herself, chopping up vegetables for what he presumed to be for lunch or dinner. It was a meal that would be more likely served to the older siblings and their friends than Tsuna himself. Shaking his head, he walked away, heading towards the phone to make a call. Hopefully, this new present to Tsuna would make both his and the brunet's living situation just a little bit better. Maybe later on in the week, he just might be able to take Tsuna out for some new clothes, but that might have to come later. He didn't want to accidentally get the child in trouble for having brand new clothes appearing out of thin air. The thought of stealing would appear on their minds when it really wasn't Tsuna's fault. Though it might not be noticeable to Nana, it would be to the older brothers.

Reborn smirked as he searched through his memories for the information he needed, glancing down at his watch for the time for a moment. Thinking back on his past observations, it appeared like the older siblings have some intelligence, not much, but still some, that wasn't exactly gained from the mother. At the same time, they didn't gain the stupidity from their father either, something Reborn was actually happy about. He could deal with oblivious people, but stupid ones? They deserved to be shot at times out of pure frustration. Either way, the older siblings were in-between those two settings and shifting towards a different angle that wasn't present in the two parents. The hitman hoped it was inheritance from previous family members. The world needs smarter people after all.

Reborn let out a deep sigh and pressed the 'on' button, listening to the dial tone before pressing the numbers he had memorized from earlier today.

* * *

Tsuna had found school today to be a little odd, but nice compared to the usual. After Reborn's interference yesterday, the students that had been bullying him never bothered to touch him again, it was like they were avoiding him entirely. He would see them in the hallways or during lunch and instead of coming up to him to say all sorts of nasty things, they simply walked away with their eyes averting from looking directly at him. And that suited him just fine. He would rather be ignored like normal than be pushed and called names. It made going to school that much easier to deal with.

Still, the teachers gave him dirty looks whenever they called out his name for him to grab his homework or test grades, convinced he must be cheating somehow. They had attempted to get the information out of him during those test periods, but found no proof and even watched him throughout the entire time. It left them stumped in disbelief, but it didn't change their opinion of him. Tsuna could sometimes hear some whispers whenever he walked by the teacher's lounge that one of them was tempted to call his home to get to the bottom of everything. It hadn't happened yet and Tsuna hoped that wouldn't, he'd rather not have such attention drawn to him so negatively. He wasn't sure how his family would react to such lies. Though, he had the confidence that Reborn would defend him at any given notice considering he knew the truth.

He sighed heavily when he heard the bell ring, alerting him that school had just ended, and quickly packed up his stuff to head home. His honey-colored eyes peered around from his desk and watched as his classmates paired up to walk out together before sighing. It seemed like he was still unwelcomed to everyone else. Making his way out, he perked up slightly when he saw his middle older brother, Natsu, all on his own in the front courtyard. For a moment, he believed that perhaps they could walk home together, but that fleeting thought was dashed when he saw a silver-haired child run up to his brother.

"Juudaime! Sorry I'm late!" Gokudera, from what Tsuna could remember, called out and gave a large grin to Natsu. It wasn't long before a black-haired child followed right behind the same doors, grinning with his arms behind his head, and was wearing a baseball outfit.

"Come on, let's wait for the others before heading off, alright? I heard from Mom that she's making a quiche today." Natsu chuckled and watched as his friends got into a fight over some simple matter.

Tsuna sighed, knowing better than to hope, and started to make his way home with his shoulders slouching. It was quiet as he headed back, zoning out the rest of the world. However, he was in for a surprise when he suddenly came upon his house, enough so that it made him pause for a moment to take it in. There, right in front, was a large truck with the back doors wide open. Unable to help himself, he ran closer to take a better look. But he didn't understand why there would be such a truck, of all things, in front of the house. He didn't remember the house needing any new stuff, unless his older brothers had asked for something. That was more likely the case after all. Stepping around the vehicle, he went towards the front door where he could see his mother and a man, dressed in gray jumpsuit that was slightly dirty, talking.

"But I'm serious. I didn't place this order…" Nana's voice echoed through the small front yard and the brunet went closer to peek, bending over the edge of the wall. When Tsuna managed to get a better look of the situation, he saw that there were actually two workers with one of them holding a brown writing board. The latter was obviously trying to demand Nana to sign the details at the bottom.

"Sorry, Madam, but the order was placed and paid for. We just deliver. Your name is Sawada Nana, yes?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then it's your order. Please sign the bottom here. We have other deliveries to do soon."

"But-"

"Madam, if you have issues with the order then please contact the manager or the store. We need to leave soon."

Nana, resigning to the demands, did as she was told and signed at the bottom. She didn't understand how this could have happened, but somehow she had bought a brand-new queen-size bed for her youngest child two hours after her children had left for school. At least it wasn't that expensive, though she doubted money would really be an issue, but still…How had this happened? Well, it wasn't as if it was that bad. Her eyes peered down at her youngest, a curious expression adorning his expression, and smiled. "Ah, Tsuna, welcome home!"

The brunet blinked as he watched the men leave and turned his attention towards Nana. "Mom? Did something happen?"

"Yes, by the looks of it, you got a new bed. Why don't you go upstairs and see it for yourself? It's already made for you."

"A bed? Really?"

"Yes! Now go on and take a look at it!" Nana gave a welcoming smile and observed as her youngest ran up the stairs with earnest sparkles in his eyes. For a moment, there was a brief flash of shock and disbelief within his expression before it was shoved away by childish curiosity. Nana chuckled as she watched Tsuna stumbled up the stairs. Well, it wasn't that bad of a purchase, she had known for a while that she needed to get a new bed for her growing son. It was probably better this way, but she still had to question just how this whole thing had happened in the first place. Shrugging her shoulders, she went back to the kitchen to finish cooking up the snacks she had been making earlier.

Tsuna found himself rushing up the stairs eagerly, wanting nothing more than to see what new changes had occurred. As he opened his bedroom door, he peeked inside and took notice of Reborn standing in the center with his hands within his pockets. "Oh, Reborn! Hello!"

The hitman just stood there with a smirk, hands crossed against his chest, and chuckled as a greeting. "Welcome back," The adult tilted his fedora slightly and then motioned to the new bed, settling down onto the edge. "Come on. Take look at the new bed I ordered for you."

Tsuna let out a little sound in delight and ran forward, dropping his school bag along the way. Within moments, he had jumped up onto the mattress, taking note of the soft blue blankets that were high in quality and their softness. His body bounced from the springs underneath, much stronger compared to the old bed. Without a doubt, it was so different and much better compared to his previous bed and he wanted nothing more than to take a nap on it to try it out. And it was so spacious, he felt tiny compared to it, and he gave a happy squeal in approval.

Reborn simply chuckled from the side and reached over to the top of the bed to grab one of the two pillows. Bunching up the material into one hand, he stabbed it forward into Tsuna's petite face playfully. There was another squeal and then laughter as Tsuna wiggled his nose from the ticklish sensation the material brought to his face and tried to get away. The adult followed and if contact broke, he would make a quick shift with his hand to get the pillow back into position. There was more laughter from the child as he rolled around to get away, almost tumbling off the bed in his effort. Immediately, the hitman caught him just before Tsuna made an unpleasant crash to the floor and raised the child up in his hand with ease. Two large honey-colored eyes blinked back, his limbs hanging downward almost like a doll.

"That might have been unpleasant," Reborn chuckled and placed the child back onto the bed with ease, plopping down him. "Good thing you have me around to save your ass."

Tsuna continued to giggle, ignoring the momentary curse word from the adult, and wobbled back and forth on the bed. Soon after, he flopped back onto the sheets, but not before tackling the older man to bring him down to his level. Tsuna grinned happily as he continued to play with Reborn, glad that the other had taken the effort to do this much for him. It was a wonderful present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave kudos or comments :)


	7. Chapter 7

Tsuna felt his days brightening since the arrival of his new bed. It was like everything was perfect, the way it should be, and he loved it. Reborn had the tendency to sleep in the same bed, sharing it with Tsuna during the night, and was quickly considering the place as his new home. The raven took absolute uncanny enjoyment in watching the brunet get around for his days, making sure that everything ran smoothly for the youngest Sawada. It sparked something deep inside that he hadn't felt in his long life. It was an unfamiliar feeling, one that peaked his interest, and it grew stronger each passing day.

Of course, Reborn had to make sure that he didn't do something to accidentally alert the other family members of his presence. It took careful adjustments to his usual routine, from stepping lightly on the floorboards to gently closing the doors so no click could be heard, but it was easily done with his skill level. He was an assassin after all - keeping quiet in a normally noisy household was simple. There were times though, when just being quiet wouldn't work all that well due to the activity involved. When Tsuna went to take a shower or bath, Reborn would follow behind to take his own while the brunet brushed his teeth. It was synchronizing their movements and routines together to make one that suited each other perfectly. With their constant teamwork, it was quite easy to fool everyone. Reborn could only sigh at the obliviousness of the Sawada family. It was ridiculous, on a whole other level that was almost unbelievable by others, but at least it made things easier on his part. That and most of the time the family was either out or with a group where noise level wasn't an issue.

Days went by and the two fell further into their set routine and there were times when Reborn would either walk Tsuna to school or sleep through the morning. Reborn normally did the latter due to his late night disappearances, either for a job or just to burn off any excess energy he had accumulated throughout the day. Tsuna didn't mind and got ready on his own, wanting to try and be independent from everyone while still relying on the hitman to do certain things for him. It was basic things like reaching for items that were too high or helping him put on those shirts that needed to be buttoned on the back. The adult didn't mind, he had grown used to the child, steadily getting protective as the days passed by. Any bully that dared to harm Tsuna would be shot at, no exceptions. He didn't care if it looked bad on his part, he wouldn't allow anyone to harm the child.

One morning, Reborn stirred from his deep sleep and flexed his arms before him only to find a lump beside him. It was this morning that he found Tsuna still sleeping next to him, snuggled up against his body like he was a heater of some sort, with the alarm still blazing in the background. He wiggled his nose, his eyes slowly creeping open to peek at his surroundings and glanced straight to the device that was making all the noise. Reaching out, careful not to jostle the child on his arm, he shut it off, enjoying the silence that followed. However, he knew he couldn't fall back asleep just yet. His onyx eyes peered down at the child beside him and sighed, knowing very well that Tsuna had most likely overslept by accident. 'Better get him up. Can't have him late now, can I?' Still, he took a moment to take in the innocent expression, those puffy cheeks, the fluttering of Tsuna's long eyelashes - these were things that could only belong to a child of his age and stature.

Currently, the brunet had cuddled close against Reborn, his body buried perfectly in the adult's arms. His tiny fingers were clutching onto the white t-shirt the other wore like it was some sort of lifeline. He was dressed in cute blue pajamas that had little figures of black and white pandas on them, they were posed in various positions. Suddenly, Tsuna shifted slightly in Reborn's grasp, burying his face into the white shirt, and he almost appeared like a tiny cat from the way his arms and legs were tucked in. 'Cute.' Reborn shifted back a few inches to gain some distance from the child, knowing he had to stir the other awake and get him ready for school. However, from the way Tsuna appeared, it was almost felt like a sin to break the peace. Still, the hitman did what was needed. His right hand, the same one he had used to turn off the alarm, gently grasped Tsuna's shoulder and using a moderate amount of strength shook him awake. "Tsuna, wake up. It's already morning."

There was a grumble and a shuffle of limbs before the brunet edged closer for warmth, and that same warmth was none other than Reborn's chest. The raven almost wanted to chuckle at the adorable reaction, but resisted and gave another shake. Tsuna this time fluttered open his eyes, glancing up at the adult, and yawned. He gave a small stretch, releasing his grasp on Reborn's shirt, and rolled onto his back. His tiny fingers rubbed his eyes in an attempt to rid the sleepiness that still rested within. "Good… mor-" Another yawn escaped while speaking, cutting the word in half. "-ning." A few blinks later, the brunet was up and moving to get ready for school, however, Reborn noticed something odd. He hadn't detected it at first, pushing it off as the usual morning solemnity, but each movement on Tsuna's end was sluggish and lacked its usual spark. It was unusual.

The adult sat up in bed, sliding his legs over the edge, and continued to watch with an eyebrow raised. His spiky black hair was chaotic from sleep and he ran a hand through his thick locks to flatten them out. "Tsuna," Catching the brunet's attention, he watched as Tsuna glanced his way, halfway through the process of getting dressed with his fingers clenched around a single sock as he tried to pull it over his toes. "Are you feeling alright?"

Blinking, Tsuna automatically nodded his head. "Yeah, just tired. I should feel better after getting something to eat."

"If you say so." Reborn stood up, dressed in his t-shirt and loose pants, and proceeded to help Tsuna get ready for the day. Normally, he wouldn't do such things, but he felt like it today, he had a strong gut feeling it was for the best. Each movement the brunet made was lethargic and the adult couldn't help but be concerned about it. However, nothing abnormal happened along the way and soon, Tsuna was walking out the door for school. "You'll be alright?" The older siblings were still in the kitchen, laughing and enjoying their breakfast as they tried to scarf it down. Apparently, they had woken up late compared to Tsuna.

"Yeah, don't worry, Reborn. I'm a big boy. I'll be back before you know it."

As Tsuna began to step away down the road towards school, the hitman made a small note in the back of his head. 'Better check on him later on. Hopefully, it's just nothing.'

* * *

It was only two hours later after Tsuna left for school that the telephone in the house started ringing. Reborn snapped his eyes open from where he was spread out on the couch and immediately sat up, rubbing the back of his head. His fedora was on the table beside him, looking quite out of place compared to everything else. He peered around the area, listening for any footsteps that would follow, but found none. 'Ah, that's right. Nana left to go shopping an hour ago.' With the mother no longer in the household and all the kids out, he had taken the chance to nap on the couch in the living room for the time being. As much as he enjoyed sleeping in bed, he wanted to have his legs propped up and his arms folded, both of which were uncomfortable anywhere else.

As the phone continued ring in the background, Reborn stretched his arms above his head and ran a hand through his hair, smoothing the locks back. 'It's probably one of those pesky neighbors asking for sugar or something. Or a telemarketer.'

Eventually, the phone stopped when it reached its end and the voice recorder came on soon after to follow. "Hello, Sawada residence? This is the nurse at Namimori Elementary school; I'm calling to inform you that Sawada Tsunayoshi is currently sick."

Reborn raised an eyebrow at that, narrowing his eyes just slightly in response, 'Or not.' He stood up to get closer, listening to the message as it continued.

"I request that Tsunayoshi be brought home. Please call back or come to the nurse's office in school-"

Before the message went any further, Reborn picked up the receiver and placed it against his ear. "Hello, this is the Sawada residence."

There was a pause on the other side, taken back by the sudden interruption, before the nurse continued, "Hello, sir. I'm the nurse at Namimori Elementary school. I was wondering if someone could come and pick up Tsunayoshi. It seems like he caught a bad case of the cold. It's nothing serious, but it's better if he goes home and gets some rest. Is there a Sawada Nana there? She's listed under the emergency contacts."

Reborn almost cursed, but continued, "I'm afraid that Nana isn't here at the moment. She went shopping and most likely won't be back until the afternoon. She doesn't have a cell with her so there's no way to get in contact. If it's possible, I can pick Tsuna up and bring him home. I live here at the household and Tsuna knows me quite well."

There was another pause and some shuffling of papers in the background. "Hmm, that's quite troublesome. The only person that can pick him up is Nana due to school policy. What's your relationship to Tsunayoshi?"

"Relationship?" Reborn froze momentarily, quickly thinking up of a lie. There was only one thing in the world that would work and it was the best possible chance. He honestly didn't want to, but if it provided him with desired end results, he was fine with that. "I'm his father."

The hitman could tell the nurse had stopped at the revelation he announced. "Father? I didn't know that-"

"That there's a husband in the house? Yes, I'm aware of that. We don't tell people often about this subject and I'd appreciate if it didn't go around to the gossipers of the town. Nana and I are divorced, but we still get along quite well. I'm currently staying over since my job brought me back here and I had nowhere else to go. Anyway, I'm not around often enough to have Nana place my name underneath Tsuna's contact list. If you say the name 'Reborn' to Tsuna, he'll know who I am."

"I see," There was some more shuffling in the background and some scribbling of what sounded like a pen. Seconds passed between the two receivers and eventually the nurse spoke once more. "Alright, I'll let you come pick Tsuna up due to circumstances, but there will be some paperwork to fill out because of this. Please arrive at the school as quickly as possible."

"No problem." With a quick flick of his hand, he placed the phone down and deleted the message on the answering machine, not wanting to leave any evidence regarding what he was about to do. He sighed, shoulders slumping slightly, and peered back towards his forgotten fedora. He knew he shouldn't have lied about being Tsuna's father, knowing very well that, that little falsehood could spread around quickly within Namimori like wildfire. Well, he'd deal with that when needed. Right now, his only concern was Tsuna.


	8. Chapter 8

Reborn quickly made his way through the school dressed in his usual attire, fedora included. The students and teachers that were in the hallway threw him a few odd looks but he ignored them since he only had one thing on his mind. Considering the way he was dressed, the adult obviously appeared quite out of place while everyone else was in a casual sort of formal wear and the students in their everyday garb. After all, his yellow button-up shirt and black suit stood out among the bright colors of the school and people present. His fedora was in its usual spot upon his head with a few strands of hair poking out, he was also missing his tie having decided that it would be best to leave it at home. Some of the teachers immediately swooned over him, noticing his good looks instantly, and attempted to slip closer for some details on the mysterious man, flirting like there was nothing wrong. Luckily, the smarter ones immediately backed down, knowing very well that a man would only be here in a school if he had a child, thus destroying their chances of getting a date.

The hitman spotted the two older Sawada siblings, Giotto and Natsu, in their respective classrooms. They were both hanging out with their close friends without a care in the world, chattering up their group members with a bright smile. He shook his head at the sight of them, watching the children as they continued to laugh and run around happily. For a moment, he noticed the two boys glancing towards him out of the corner and instantly narrowed his eyes in return, watching as they shivered at the sight of him before snapping their heads away. Smirking to himself, he continued to make his way towards the nurse's office and slid open the door with a loud squeak. After peering inside, he noticed that the place was empty, voided of human presence.

'That's odd. Guess she thought I would take longer to appear.' After closing the door behind him, he walked into the room and wandered over to the only bed with the drawn curtains around it. He pulled it open and spotted the person he was searching for hidden within. Tsuna was nestled deep into the bed, his face bright red and his breathing ragged as if there was something pushing down upon his chest. It was clear as day that he was sick and most likely running a fever, sweat visible on his cheeks. Reborn sighed angrily to himself; he should have noticed it this morning. Pulling the curtains further back, he stalked forward and gently sat down on the edge of the bed, placing the back of his hand against Tsuna's forehead while pushing some bangs aside. The brunet's temperature was as he expected: hot.

That little touch stirred the sleeping child, his eyes fluttering open tiredly as if struggling to remain awake. It took a few seconds for those exhausted honey-colored orbs to focus, peering over at Reborn's face, and he immediately brightened up with a smile. "Reborn…"

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Terrible," Tsuna coughed soon after and rolled over so that he could look at the adult easier. "Why are you here?"

"I've come to pick you up. Also, I'm now your father."

"Eh?"

"Nana wasn't home and unless I was a close relative to you, I couldn't pick you up. So I told them I was your father."

Tsuna tilted his head at that and beamed again, crawling closer to the other so that he could curl around the adult and rest his head against his lap. He buried his face against Reborn's abdomen, enjoying the warmth. "My father… Thank you."

Reborn just smiled at the adorable sight, chuckling in amusement as he watched the child. He stroked the sweat-soaked hair softly as he listened to the soft breathing, knowing that the brunet had fallen asleep upon settling in.

A few minutes later, the door swung open just as the school bell rang with the nurse sauntering in, her heels clanked against the tiled floor and the ends of her lab coat fluttering behind. She detected him immediately upon entering and stepped closer, taking notice of the position he was in. Her eyes drifted over the man carefully before glancing towards the sleeping child who had a smile on his face, completely peaceful. She noticed how he was wrapped carefully around Reborn as if he were some sort of lifeline. "I take it that you're Reborn?"

"Chaos," He spoke his greeting, tilting his fedora downwards, before continuing, "Yes, that's correct."

"I see, alright then. I have some papers I need you to fill out before you can take Tsunayoshi home. Here," The nurse handed the papers over on a wooden clipboard, Reborn taking hold of it immediately. He glanced over what needed to be signed and could tell from a glance that they were just safety and insurance policies so that the school wouldn't be blamed if anything were to happen. He quickly began to fill it out, signing his name at the very bottom with little hesitation. Reborn knew very well that if something were to happen, his name would instantly show up upon the records. Of course, the Sawada residence only knew him as the imaginary friend of Tsuna and would most likely wave it off without a second thought. They weren't exactly the smartest people around. When Reborn finished, he handed the papers back all a while keeping Tsuna balanced on his lap. "Alright, looks like everything is properly filled out. You can take Tsunayoshi home with you. Do you have a car?"

"Ah no, I'll be carrying him home. We don't live very far from the school," Reborn immediately shook the child awake, watching those tired eyes blink open. There were a few grumbles from Tsuna as he moved closer to lean against the long legs before finally rolling around to face upward. "Tsuna, I'm going to carry you home. I'll need you to raise your arms up for me."

"You're going to carry me? Really?" Tsuna's eyes sparkled for a moment, pushing himself up to sit, and held his arms out towards the other, unable to hide his excitement.

"Yes, really. Now hang on," Reborn leaned down and lifted the boy up, cradling his arms around Tsuna's bottom as leverage. The tiny limbs spread around Reborn's broad shoulders with Tsuna's head resting at the crook of his neck and the brunet buried his face into the soft spot, letting out a content sigh. The hitman snorted in response. "Don't get clingy."

"I'm not clingy." A pout followed.

"Says the one who's clinging to me."

"Heeyyyy, that's mean!"

Reborn chuckled fondly and pushed Tsuna further up to prevent any sliding, tightening his grasp. His eyes turned to the nurse and nodded his head. "I'll be going now. Could you hold the door open for me?"

"Sure, no problem," As the nurse stepped closer to the door, she peeked back with an amused expression. "You know, you didn't really look much of a father when I first saw you." Reborn raised an eyebrow at that, almost tempted to laugh. "But the way you handle him and everything made me change my opinion. Though, you still don't dress like a father."

"I know," The hitman was almost tempted to shake his head, not wanting to place any suspicion on his actions. "I'm a businessman after all. Though, Tsuna is a good kid, he deserves better."

The nurse just smiled, watching as the pair exited the office, before settling down at her desk to continue with what paperwork she had. The hallways were empty by the time Reborn reentered, the children back in their classrooms with the teacher in front preaching about one thing or another. It wasn't worth much for the two to peek in, but they could hear the various voices echoing out into the empty hallway. Tsuna tightened his hold on Reborn, burying his face further into the neck, and made a loud sniffle before coughing. The hitman waited for a moment until the fit died down, rubbing the child on the back gently to help calm him, before moving on. Within moments, they went out the front doors towards the school gates and continued on with little disruption, no one bothering to stop or question the two. It was a peaceful day, nice and sunny with a few calm breezes every few minutes. When they made it back to the house, Nana was still absent, the place empty and silent compared to the usual craziness of the Sawada's. Reborn made his way up the stairs after locking the house up, tossing Tsuna's shoes to the side at the entry hallway, and opened the door to the child's bedroom. He placed him down onto the large bed with a gentleness that didn't belong to his personality. Tsuna blinked at the postural shift before burying his face into the soft pillow, his cheeks still a deep rosy red.

"Get some rest. I'll take care of everything," Reborn yanked the covers up from underneath the child, maneuvering some limbs to make that possible, and smiled softly. His fingers ran through the soft strands, enjoying the texture, before pulling away as he tucked the child in. Tsuna's school backpack was left abandoned on the floor and his fedora and jacket were placed neatly on a chair, keeping it straight and out of view. Soon after, the brunet sighed contently, closing his eyes as he got comfortable. Reborn chuckled again. "I'll be back with something for you to eat alright?"

The tiny brunet just smiled softly, muttering words of thanks under his breath, and slowly began to drift off as sleepiness took over his tired body. Reborn shook his head at the cute display and made his way out of the bedroom towards the kitchen, keeping his footsteps silent as a just in case. However, a quick look around the first floor alerted him that Nana still hadn't shown up and just as he expected, she would be gone for another few hours, giving him plenty of time to cook something up for the brunet. He was no expert, but he could make decently good food, nothing like Nana though. 'Probably should make something simple, something easy for Tsuna to digest while sleeping.'

Opening the cabinets, he began to gather the ingredients and a pot for what he had in mind, making sure that he had everything in place. He reached up momentarily to twirl one of his sideburns, letting it twist around his forefinger before it sprung back into place. 'Better get started.'

Within thirty minutes, Reborn had a medium-sized bowl of chicken noodle soup resting on a plate with some shredded lettuce floating at the top, nothing too heavy. He made sure to clean up after himself, not wanting to leave any evidence behind, and slowly made his way up to the second floor. It didn't take much effort to wake Tsuna up to eat, watching as the child eagerly swallowed the food. Reborn could only smirk, watching in amusement, and only moved when he had to take the empty dish aside, placing it onto the nightstand to be put away later. His fingers went through Tsuna's hair gently, knowing very well he was soothing the child. "Now get some rest, you'll need it to recover quickly."

"Okay!" Tsuna flopped back down onto their shared bed, snuggling into the covers happily now that he was content and full. "Thanks, Reborn. For everything."

"It's fine," The adult just continued to rub the top of Tsuna's head before flicking his bangs aside to get a better view of the face. "Let me know if you need anything. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find you some medicine."

The child pouted at the thought of medication, grimacing, but didn't say anything and smiled soon after as he watched Reborn leave the room. His eyes fluttered momentarily as he stared at the open door, wishing for the other to come back soon. 'Reborn… as my father…' He rolled over, closing his eyes. 'That would be nice.'


	9. Chapter 9

Reborn pat Tsuna's head gently, feeling for his temperature as he brushed aside some of the sticky bangs. He was satisfied to see it finally cooling down, the redness receding to a normal color and Tsuna's breathing evening out as he continued to rest. Nana hadn't realized what had happened until the two older siblings returned home and let her know. Through the rumor mill they'd heard the news of their adorable younger brother being ill and in the nurse's office. They had tried to question Tsuna on how he had gotten home, however, when he refused to answer they surmised that he must have escaped on his own, not once did they decide to call the school for details.

Reborn's belief that the mother of the Sawada family was dense, and a few other unmentionable things, only heightened. Giotto was the only one to question it, the only one out of the three showing some signs of intelligence. However, that didn't stop them from cuddling the youngest in their love. Nana made a massive feast in hopes of curing Tsuna's illness but due to eating earlier with the youngest was only able to pass the food onto his brothers. He could only eat so much before the feeling of vomiting began to show. Nana looked a little disheartened at being denied, but the older siblings had made up for that by calling their friends over to join in. The house was soon bustling with noise.

Of course, doing so made the brunet upstairs feel lonely as the party downstairs raged on, he had been forgotten once again by his own family. Tsuna didn't think much of it though, simply continuing to sleep. That and Reborn stayed close to him, sitting up against the headboard and reading a book the adult had picked up from the storage closet. Tsuna smiled lightly at the closeness and curled up beside the adult, enjoying the warmth of a person beside him. Reborn didn't mind and every now and then he would rub Tsuna on the back in a comforting gesture. The noise downstairs could be easily heard through the thin walls but it went unnoticed by the two.

Time continued to pass and it was almost close to midnight when Reborn finally shuffled away from the bed to stretch, gently maneuvering Tsuna off his legs. He had been cooped up in the house for far too long, constantly keeping an eye out for the child, and desired a good run around the city to burn off some built-up energy. Staying inside for so long made him feel a little twitchy, leaving him unable to actually close his eyes to sleep. Though now that Tsuna's fever was beginning to die down, he affirmed that it was finally safe to leave. As he stepped toward the window to let himself out he heard some movement behind him, the shuffling of the covers followed by a yawn.

"Reborn?" Tsuna's large honey-colored eyes peered out from under the blankets and he shifted closer to the edge of the bed, wonder clear within the orbs. "Where are you going?" He rubbed his face, trying to work the sleepiness out, and lifted himself further trying to wake his mind.

The adult peered back, his fedora was sitting on the nightstand and his jacket hanging on a chair. He smirked and stepped closer, dressed only in his pants and a yellow button-up shirt. "I'm just heading out for a walk. Go back to sleep, you have school tomorrow. If you feel better, that is."

The brunet pouted, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and tumbled towards the other. "No, I want to come with you." He tugged on Reborn's pants, sporting that puppy-dog look with his lips poking outward, and quickly attached himself to Reborn in an effort to prevent the other from leaving without him.

Reborn stared down, knowing very well that he was being sucked into that adorable look and sighed, leaning down to Tsuna's level. He might as well, it wasn't as if it would hurt anyone anyway. Besides had a strong feeling Nana wasn't going to allow Tsuna to head to school tomorrow, wanting to baby him while she could. "Fine, but if you complain that you're tired tomorrow I'm going to hit you over the head."

Immediately brightening up, Tsuna jumped for joy and raised his arms for Reborn to hoist him up, wanting to be carried by the other. However, instead of being picked up, the hitman kneeled down and motioned the child to on his back. At first, the brunet was curious as to why the other would do that but with a shrug he pushed the thought aside and he complied. Immediately, he jumped onto the back happily with a small squeal and hooked his arms around the neck. Was he going to get a piggyback? This would be the first time he'd ever received such a thing.

Reborn stood up after assuring that Tsuna's legs had been secured around his waist with his own arms hooked onto them and carefully made his way out through the window. A cool breeze rustled his locks, free from the confines of his fedora, but he ignored it as he jumped out, landing perfectly on the ground with ease despite the height. He hadn't really wanted Tsuna to get on his back, but the type of run he was planning to do would be much easier this way than with the child in his arms. Using his strength and abilities, he ran forward to jump up, getting one foot on the top of the brick fence before continuing to jump again, making his way onto the neighbor's rooftop effortlessly. Tsuna let out a little squeak in shock, having not expected it, and tightened his grasp in fear, his eyes wide as he looked all around. He was pretty high up, much more than just looking out the window of a two-story building.

Reborn let out a laugh as he continued to run, hopping from one rooftop to another, and was quickly making his way towards the main city. Tsuna buried his face into the crook of Reborn's neck and peered out every now and then to look over the scenery, his fear slowly slipping away. It was wonderful at night with the moon out in the distance and all the stars twinkling above. That combined with the bright lights from the other buildings illuminated their path, guiding them towards the center of Namimori.

"R-Reborn? Where are we going?"

The hitman let out a little sound as he jumped up again, heading to another rooftop that was about four-stories high. He was lucky that his abilities allowed him to do such things since they were impossible by human standards. "Nowhere really. I just wanted to go for a run to burn off some extra energy I have, remember?" He quickly made his way towards the city area, heading up onto the rooftops of the skyscrapers in order to overlook the entire area. He could hear a loud squeal from beside him, smirking as he spotted Tsuna's amazed face from the corner of his eye. "One would think you were scared of heights."

Tsuna blinked, glancing down from the edge. "It… is scary," He tightened his grasp and shifted closer to Reborn's body. "But with you it's not so bad."

"Oh? How so?"

"Because I know Reborn will protect me!"

"I guess that's a good logic," Reborn jumped to the next tower, not caring if there was a massive distance or height between each one. He passed three more, making sure to keep Tsuna in place, before stopping once more to speak. "Are you enjoying this?"

"Yeah! It's so cool!"

Reborn just smirked, taking a moment to listen to his surroundings. The streets weren't bustling with cars or people, being so late at night already, and only half of the lights were still on. Many of the buildings were shut down, completely dark, blending in with the black of the night. Regardless, Reborn enjoyed the silence and jumped to the next building, listening to the child as he giggled happily. The fear of being so high up was completely gone from Tsuna's features, his grip around Reborn's neck loosening up. The two of them lost track of how long they had been out, enjoying their surroundings and each other immensely. It wasn't until Tsuna muttered that he was getting thirsty that Reborn realized just exactly how long they been out. It had been almost an hour but instead of heading back home Reborn jumped down towards the streets, making his way toward one of the convenience stores that were open twenty-four hours. He didn't want to head back yet and neither did Tsuna, enjoying their time together while they were out.

As he placed Tsuna down on the ground to walk in, he quickly realized that the child not only had his pajamas on but didn't have any shoes either, just socks. Grumbling under his breath, he lifted the child back up into his arms, carrying the boy in just as the automatic sliding door opened up. The cashier glanced up at the two curiously, raising an eyebrow at the sight of them, before turning back to watch a portable television. Reborn huffed and made his way over towards the drinks section, finally dropping Tsuna to the ground in order to open the refrigerator doors. He grabbed a small carton of strawberry milk for Tsuna and a bottle of red wine for himself. Normally, he didn't like drinking anything alcohol-related around the child, but he would make the exception for the night, even more so when he was about to drink straight out of the bottle. It wasn't as if he could get wine glasses to appear out of nowhere. As he was going through the various wine bottles, he watched out of the corner of his eyes as Tsuna began to wander away and called out, "Don't leave the store, Tsuna."

"I won't!" Still, the brunet disappeared around the corner and Reborn could only shake his head, grabbing one bottle that was decent compared to the rest so that he could follow. Tsuna had a tendency to find himself in trouble without meaning to. Reborn poked his head over the line of food items and spotted the little child near the toy section, staring up at a row of stuffed animals. He recognized them as items that would be used as last-minute gifts for friends or family, most of them were of average quality, nothing too fancy. However, there was one that seemed to catch his attention and also Tsuna's by the looks of it. There a large, stuffed bunny that was a light blue in color with a pure white stomach and brown spots at the tips of the ears, sat comfortably. The eyes were large, beady in shape, and the toy itself was about half of Tsuna's size, just enough to be able to fit comfortably in his arms.

Reborn almost chuckled again and stepped closer, picking up the stuffed animal as he stared at it carefully. His eyes glanced towards the price tag but tossed the amount off, knowing he could afford such a simple thing with no trouble. He glanced at Tsuna then back at the toy before going back again. "It fits you."

"E-Eh?" Tsuna peered up with wide eyes, surprise filling him.

The hitman laughed lightly and shoved the toy straight into the brunet's arms. "If you want something, just ask. I'll only say no for a good reason."

Looking down at the gift, Tsuna smiled brightly. "T-Thanks, Reborn!"

Patting the child over the head he went towards the cashier and placed the items on the counter, watching as the worker rang everything up. Luckily, he didn't need to provide an ID for his wine and pulled the bunny out of Tsuna's hands to get the last item rung up. Right after that was done, he handed it back along with the carton of strawberry milk. "Now be careful, alright? I don't want you staining your present so soon."

"Okay!"

Reborn could only shake his head as he produced some cash from his wallet to pay for the items. Once that was done he knelt down to lift Tsuna back up with one arm. He made sure to grab a straw along the way, exiting the convenience store, and went straight to the nearest bench, was somewhat covered from wandering eyes, to sit. Placing Tsuna down, he opened the strawberry milk, popping a straw into it, and rested the stuffed animal beside him. It was the best way he could prevent Tsuna from accidentally spilling anything before settling down beside the brunet. After popping open the cork of his wine and taking his first swig, he sighed in content. It's been a while since his last drink.

"Reborn?"

"Hmm?" The hitman peered down at those large honey-colored eyes, Tsuna's lips just inches away from the straw.

"What's that you're drinking?"

"Wine, but you're a little too young to have a taste yet so don't ask." Reborn tilted the bottle back as he took another gulp, leaning his head back to stare up at the night sky as he did so.

"Okay!" Tsuna just went back to slipping on his milk, clearly enjoying everything around him. He fell back into silence, swinging his feet back and forth on the bench, before suddenly looking back over. "Hey, Reborn…" The hitman glanced to the side, his wine bottle half finished already. "Do you… know who my Papa is?"

That one question made Reborn tense, his eyes boring into Tsuna's questionably before grumbling under his breath, "Kinda, I did some background research on your family. Your brothers are destined for great things later in their life."

"Then who's Papa?"

Tempted to sigh once more, Reborn placed his glass bottle down and ran his right forefinger around one of his curls. He wasn't exactly sure how to answer the question but he guessed honestly would do it. "He goes under the name Vongola Iemitsu so that he can't be tracked back home. This is because he's the External Advisor for an Italian based corporation called Vongola. That's one of the many reasons why he doesn't come home to visit you guys. I found out through some snooping that your father did come home when you were born and again when you were two. However, I doubt you would remember those two visits since I suspect they were both short," Tsuna remained quiet, no longer interested in his milk and instead snuggled up closer to Reborn with a pout. The adult wrapped his arm around the small shoulders, bringing the child closer to his body, and continued to drink. It wasn't cold out, just slightly chilly, but not enough to need a jacket. "If you want, I can get you a picture of him. That way, you'll know what your father looks like."

Tsuna immediately shook his head. He didn't want that, he honestly didn't really want to know about his so-called father. Though he was only six in age, having something to identify his father wasn't going to help him in life, not now anyway. His eyes peered up at Reborn curiously as if trying to decide something before reaching over to tug at the adult's sleeve. "Reborn? A real Papa is supposed to be at home to see me, right?"

There was a slight pause as Reborn pondered over the idea before finally nodding his head. "That's supposedly what a father is, but that's quite vague. A father works to help support the family but should still be home during the night and in the morning to kiss his kids goodbye before he leaves for work."

"Then, a Papa is also supposed to be kind an-and loving and help me with my homework?" The hitman just nodded, not entirely sure where this was going. "He's supposed to help me with my bullies, and save me and everything, right?"

"Yeah, that's some of the outlines to being a father."

Tsuna wiggled his nose, still staring at Reborn intently. "I heard from one of my classmates that he has two fathers because one left. So…" The brunet paused for a moment as his words settled in the silence before persisting. "So, can Reborn be my Papa?"


	10. Chapter 10

Reborn stared, his mouth hanging open just slightly as his mind tried to process the question. "What?" However, Tsuna didn't need to repeat what he had said; Reborn had heard him loud and clear. Still, that didn't make things any easier and the man just sat there, unable to do anything else. He didn't dare move away from the child and just remained as still as possible. He couldn't, he could never do such a thing with the poor kid staring at him with such large dependent eyes. Doing so would make him feel like he had committed some grave sin. "You want me to be… your Papa? Your father?"

"Yeah," Tsuna nodded his head, peering down at the strawberry milk resting in-between his hands. His grip around the carton tightened, his nervousness beginning to show, and the caving of the container's wall under pressure crackled. The brunet swung his feet back and forth from the edge of the bench, speaking once more, "I want Reborn to become Papa Reborn."

"Tsuna…" The hitman didn't know what to say, he didn't even know how to answer that question. Never had anyone ever considered him a father figure. He wasn't even father material! He was a killer, a hitman, an Arcobaleno! He couldn't be a father, it just wasn't probable. He was the worst possible choice. Most people could tell just by looking at him!

Still, despite his raging thoughts, the words never slipped through his lips. It was like something was preventing him from doing so. As he remained silent with his internal battle raging, Tsuna glanced up with those large, hope filled honey-colored eyes. It was that one sight that forced the hitman to turn away, not wanting to see that desperate expression as they stared expectantly at him. He didn't want to get dragged into the depths of that cute look, knowing he would automatically say yes without actually thinking everything through. He couldn't allow himself to do that.

Instead, he distracted himself by looking around the area and eventually swung his bottle of wine back to take a long drink, drowning himself in the alcohol. A popping sound echoed when the bottle was pulled away from his lips, Reborn nearly slamming the glass against the bench in frustration. "I need a stronger drink." No amount of alcohol would be able to make him tipsy at this point, his mind too sharp to be dulled. It was like everything in his body was running at full blast, unable to stop.

The brunet continued to stare in silence, trading his finished carton of milk for his bunny. He tightened his hold around the giant doll, burying his face into the soft fabric right between the ears. The two fluffy attachments at the top bounced, the ears looking almost like wings as they fluttered. Tsuna wanted to cry, but resisted, knowing that Reborn would be upset if he were to do so. He didn't mean to make the other feel that way - he just wanted a real father to take care of him. His own wouldn't do, not anymore, and he wanted to have that feeling of completeness in his family. It had to be Reborn - no one else would work or could take that place.

"Tsuna," The adult knew he was going to regret speaking at this very moment but he wanted to get things cleared up. He wanted to know why Tsuna wanted _him_ as his father. "Why do you want _me_ to be your father? I'm not even… human."

The child perked up slightly, tilting his head against the bunny, and blinked. For a moment, he softly hummed to himself, thinking over the question Reborn asked, and answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Because, with me, you act the way a father should."

"How _exactly_ do I act like a father?"

At those words, Tsuna instantly perked up as excitement flashed through his eyes. "Well, you're always home! Even if you have to leave for some work, you always come back home." The brunet sat up onto the bench, crawling closer towards Reborn to the point where the bunny was pressed between their two bodies. The child was virtually leaning across the adult's lap. It was as if he were attempting to prevent the other from making any escape attempts. Tsuna had sparkles circling him, clearly happy as he spoke the truth that even he knew. "You always help me with my homework - you help me with everything. You make sure I get up in the morning and sometimes you even greet me if you wake up early enough. You make sure that I get enough to eat when Mama doesn't. You keep my bullies away and you even defend me when I do get caught. You buy stuff for me, stuff Mama never has." There was a desperate tone now mixing into Tsuna's voice, reaching over to cling to the hitman desperately as if he was afraid the older man would disappear. "You've taken me out. You've helped me when I've been hurt! You protect me, you care for me! Isn't that what a Papa is supposed to do?"

Reborn didn't know what to say, his lips trapped in a thin line as he listened to the child's rant. It was true. He had done all of that and more; he had cared for the child in place of his parents. He never understood why he had done such a thing so willingly, just that he did.

Tears began to appear in Tsuna's eyes and he sniffled, his face beginning to grow red. For a moment, concern flashed through Reborn's expression, forgetting that the child was still sick. Though he had gotten well enough to go outside, that didn't mean the virus couldn't get worse, that it couldn't rear its ugly face again. Tsuna continued to speak regardless, "Mama loves me; I know she does, but she cares more for my big brothers. She always forgets me, always." A single tear slipped down his right cheek and his grip tightened onto Reborn's arm, clinging to the shirt. "That's why Reborn is my Papa! He has to be!"

For once, the hitman didn't know what to say. What could he say? He stared down at those large, watery eyes, unsure how to answer. His grip on his bottle of wine tightened and he was tempted to take another swig, but he resisted. Everything was true, he _did_ act like a father to Tsuna, to poor little Tsuna who had been forgotten by his own family. Biting down on his bottom lip, he tried to form a response, anything that would help him get out of this situation, but there was only one that kept popping up. It was the correct answer. He knew that deep within; both his heart and mind were telling him so. Except the words wouldn't escape from his lips, it wasn't his place to say… was it?

Tsuna tightened his grasp on the adult, sighing softly under his breath. "Reborn? Please answer me."

"Tsuna, this isn't an easy thing to decide, you know."

"It is easy," The child retorted almost immediately with a snap. The tears were gone and only determination could be seen within those honey-colored orbs. "There are only two answers: yes or no. It's not a hard choice, even a child like me knows that." There was a smug tone in his voice and if things had been different the adult wouldn't have hesitated to smack the child over the head.

Reborn could only sigh, Tsuna was right. It was a simple choice, too simple. He peered down at the hopeful child, already knowing the answer. He was attached to the other. He cared deeply for him and that was it. Reaching over to tug Tsuna closer to him, he ran his fingers ran through the soft hair, feeling the brunet cuddle up against his body for warmth. " _Fine_ ," There was a surprised sound from the back of Tsuna's throat and the hitman gave another grumble under his breath. "Fine, you win. Yes, I will be your father."

"R-Really?"

The hitman huffed, rolling his eyes, and yanked Tsuna closer, feeling the tiny body crash into his own. He listened to the cute squeak the child released from the sudden movement and chuckled, leaning over to kiss Tsuna across the forehead, pushing back a few bangs that had gotten in the way. "Yes, you idiot." He peered down at the sparkling eyes, knowing he had made the right choice. Of course, he had a flash of regret deep within his chest, but he knew that Tsuna would be incredibly unhappy otherwise. He cared deeply for Tsuna - there was nothing that would prevent or stop that.

The brunet crawled up onto Reborn's lap, straddling the adult and gave a massive grin with red tinged cheeks. "Papa Reborn!" He had his hands resting on the adult's shoulders, his rabbit to the side on the bench, and just smiled happily as if there was no tomorrow. "Papa Reborn."

"Yes, yes, you don't need to keep repeating my name," Reborn gently flicked the child over the forehead, earning a wince and a pout from the brunet. "It's getting late so I'm going to need to return you home soon." Turning his head to the side, he quickly downed the rest of his wine, just swallowing everything whole without care. He couldn't afford to savor the flavor, not when he couldn't bring the bottle home. His dark onyx eyes watched as the fluid level dropped at each passing moment until it disappeared, leaving nothing behind. Letting out a sigh in relief, he placed the bottle down onto the bench and lifted Tsuna off his lap. Just as he did so, his ears picked up the soft sound of coughing, watching as the brunet leaned forward to cover his lips. "Yeah, definitely need to get you back soon. Your medicine must be wearing off."

"I-I'm okay," Just as Tsuna spoke those words, he broke out into a coughing fit, covering his mouth until it passed. The child settled into the bench, watching as the adult stood up and reached out for the two empty containers, tossing them in the nearest trashcan. "Are you going to carry me home?"

"Of course." Reborn was tempted to roll his eyes at the obvious and dropped down to one knee in front of Tsuna, waiting for the child to jump onto his back. "Now get on, I need to get you home before you get any sicker."

"Okay!" The brunet grabbed hold of his precious rabbit with one hand and hooked the other around Reborn's shoulder, an awkward position for them both with the extra luggage. With some struggling on Tsuna's part, the raven managed to grab the brunet's legs and lifted him up into the air. Reborn gave the child a small boost, making sure to get a good grip so that there were no accidents or slip ups.

"Ready?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, then hold on." As Reborn called out those words, he was running off towards the distance, jumping up from a car to a street light before finally getting on top of a building. He found he was unable to stop himself from breaking out into a grin as he listened to Tsuna's giggling against his right ear. It was odd how their relationship had changed over these months.

* * *

Sneaking back into the house had been no trouble at all; Tsuna's bedroom window was still unlocked. Reborn jumped inside with ease, creating no noise upon hitting the bedroom floor, and remained still for a moment to observe of the house. He mentally nodded to himself, finding that all residents of the building were still fast asleep, and made his way quietly towards the bed. Tsuna rubbed his face into the crook of Reborn's neck, giving a small soft mutter of 'I'm not sleepy' as his grip on the bunny loosened. Reborn chuckled lowly, rotating around to sit on the bed, and detached himself from the various limbs around him. Tsuna flopped back onto the bed, sporting a yawn as he crawled into his spot towards the side, making plenty of room for Reborn on the other.

The rabbit was still in Tsuna's arms, not wanting to let go anytime soon and Reborn could only shake his head at the sight. Standing up, he went around the bed towards the nightstand and opened the drawer, revealing some medication and a bottle of water. Pouring out the right dosage into the provided cup, he flicked Tsuna on the forehead, forcing the child awake.

"Papa, that… hurts." Tsuna was pouting, already getting used to calling Reborn by his new official name, and it only grew as he stared at the offending medicine cup filled with ruby-colored liquid. He grimaced as he was handed it, staring at the aberrant liquid angrily, and made a disgusted expression.

"It's not going to disappear unless you drink it," Reborn shook his head, watching Tsuna's movement carefully to make sure that every last drop was taken. The child gave a grumble before speedily swallowing it. A grimace flashed on his face and Tsuna immediately reached out for the bottle of water, drowning out the disgusting taste from the back of his throat. "Don't complain, it's supposed to make you feel better."

"But it's terrible." Tsuna pouted, pushing both items back to Reborn. The adult cleaned off the medicine cup and capped the bottle of water, placing everything back onto the nightstand. It was purposefully there to be out of view of all eyes considering Nana totally forgot about giving it to him during the little party that occurred downstairs.

"Obviously, but it'll stop your coughing. This way you can actually sleep the entire night without waking up every few minutes," Reborn reached over to pat Tsuna on the head fondly before pushing the child back down. He watched in amusement as the boy tumbled back in surprise, letting out a small squeak. "Now go to sleep, it's late."

Tsuna gave another pout, but complied, curling up within the covers and immediately buried his face into his pillow contentedly. He let out a pleased sigh, closing his eyes instantly as the covers bundled around his form. Reborn remained settled against the bed and rubbed Tsuna's back gently, helping sooth the child towards sleep. Within minutes, the child was gone, already in dreamland and would let out a small mutter of words under his breath.

'Cute,' Reborn tugged the covers upward, tucking the child in around the neckline before making his way around towards the other side. Taking off his shoes and tossing them underneath the bed, he slipped under the covers. It went over his body loosely and he turned to his side, towards the child. It was an odd night, no doubt about that, and yet, he didn't regret a single thing. 'There's no doubt that this is going to change our relationship,' He reached up to run a hand through his hair, staring up towards the ceiling when he rolled onto his back. 'Still, I wonder what would happen if the other Arcobaleno were to find out about this.'

Turning once more to the side, he closed his eyes for some sleep. He hoped that never happened. He was certain he would never hear the end of it.


	11. Chapter 11

Considering the new title that the brunet used to address Reborn, that morning was a little awkward for him. Still, he didn't let it affect him, simply continuing on with his normal routine. About seven in the morning, Reborn heard some shuffling down the hallways and by the heaviness of the footsteps, perceived them as the two older brothers. However, about halfway, as he was listening to the tracks' direction, he immediately jumped out of bed to hide. They were coming towards Tsuna's bedroom and he couldn't be seen in bed with the brunet. Even though they were unable to see him, they could still see the floating covers and the indention of his body on the mattress. There was no way he wanted to cause trouble in his new home much less scare everyone in the building. Although, he would admit that it was tempting it was at times.

His eyes scoured the bedroom, taking note of the settings. None of his things were out in the open and just as he was about to step aside he took one last look at Tsuna. He contemplated taking the rabbit since the family had yet to see the animal and after a second, did so. He didn't want the brothers to start questioning where Tsuna had gotten the toy. After all, there was no way the brunet could have normally received something like that _overnight_. It wasn't possible unless someone had visited him. That, of course, might draw more concern than relief.

"Brother!" Giotto was the first one to enter, slamming the door wide open without knocking. Tsuna jumped up from the bed in shock, his eyes wide from being startled. The little brunet let out a loud 'eep' as he scrambled and almost fell off his bed. Natsu waved from his spot in the doorway before making his way to his younger brother's side, helping untangle the brunet's legs from his sheets. The blond went around on the opposite side with a worried smile, offering a small apology. "Oops, didn't mean to startle you like that. But anyway, how are you feeling, Tsuna?"

Tsuna tilted his head to the side and smiled. "Better." His large, honey-colored eyes glanced around the room, spotting the hitman at the side. His smile grew instantly. He turned back to his brothers, knowing his companion was close by. "Don't worry about me! I'll be fine!"

Natsu shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head and spoke, "We're your brothers, it's our job to worry." The middle brother settled down beside the bed and grinned, patting Tsuna on the head. The brunet immediately ducked his head, feeling the fingers trail through his hair tenderly. "I know we're constantly busy with our own lives but you can still come to us for anything."

"That's right, Tsuna," Giotto continued, following Natsu's movement once the middle brother pulled away. "We're brothers. And though we might not always be the best brothers in the whole world, we're still family."

"Thanks!" Tsuna beamed happily, bundling up the sheets around his body. "I'm glad I have you two as my brothers."

Both Giotto and Natsu smiled almost instantly, happy at their younger brother's announcement. They chatted a little, keeping the conversation light and positive for Tsuna as the older brothers enjoyed the younger brunet's laughs. Sadly, their time together was short lived since the time to leave for school was approaching. The two siblings said their goodbyes, promising to visit when things were done with and exited the room. Reborn snorted and immediately crawled back into bed, handing the rabbit over. He could hear the siblings downstairs rushing for breakfast and slamming the front door behind.

"Your brothers love you, you know?"

"I know, they're the best brothers in the world even if they get too busy for me at times," Tsuna wandered around in bed before finding the perfect spot to cuddle up against the adult. "But that's where I have you! You are my family too now! You're my Papa!"

Reborn sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know." He turned his head towards the calendar, seeing the dates listed. It was a Friday morning and since Tsuna didn't have to go to school today, he would be having a three-day weekend – plenty of time to recover from his illness. He turned to face the child only to find Tsuna fast asleep with the bunny in one hand and his face buried against him. Reborn smirked and shook his head, turning slightly to get himself comfortable. It would be a nice and relaxing day, he could already tell.

* * *

Tsuna affectionately cuddled his new toy from Reborn, adoring it blissfully, and would occasionally rub his face into the softness of the fabric. The blue rabbit with brown spotted ears was just large enough to be held comfortably and the black beady eyes were so adorable with how they stared straight at him. He kept it mostly in his bedroom where no one but Reborn could see it and held onto it during the night like a safety blanket when the adult wasn't around. However, the one time he decided to take it downstairs he wished he hadn't.

"Huh? What's that, Tsuna?" Nana glanced over at her youngest, her eyes instantly drawn towards the bunny rabbit that was on Tsuna's lap. His family and brother's friends were at the table, their eyes all turned towards him almost immediately. It was rare for the youngest to get any attention at all much less get called out like that. The brunet squeaked at the sudden notice, shrinking down, and tightened his grasp on the stuffed toy. "That's a really cute toy you have there. But I don't remember ever buying it for you."

Tsuna blinked, burying his cheek into the softness once more as if it was comforting him. "R-Reborn got it for me."

"Ah, that imaginary friend of yours, that's so sweet of him."

Giotto and Natsu's friends glanced between each other at the announcement, it was their first time finding out such a case. They had never heard about Tsuna's imaginary friend before. The silver-haired boy that was among Natsu's group growled, causing the brunet to flinch, and Tsuna automatically shifted back into his seat to make himself appear smaller. Gokudera was the boy's name and he was known as one of the rudest of Natsu's friends, arguing with anyone who didn't fit with his ideals. Most considered him a delinquent despite being a genius in school. "I bet the kid stole it."

Tsuna blinked and rapidly shook his head. "I didn't! Reborn gave it to me. H-He said that it comple-comple-" His words stopped as he tried to pronounce the larger word he had only heard once from the adult, his tongue stumbling over it.

"Complement?" Giotto offered.

"Yeah, complements me." The brunet finished, puffing out his cheeks defensively, and tightened his grasp on the doll as if it was precious to him.

"You're kidding. You have no money, no friends. I'm _certain_ you stole it." Gokudera continued to argue back and jumped up from his seat to head around the table. Tsuna watched curiously but seemed to grow fearful as the older boy got closer. Everyone's eyes were watching as well, not sure on what was going to happen next. Everyone knew about Gokudera's short temper and his hateful attitude towards everything except Natsu, who he followed like a lost puppy. They hoped that nothing bad would happen to the youngest. However, they simply watched as the silver-haired teen yanked the doll out of Tsuna's grasp, despite his protests, and made his way out of the kitchen with the toy in hand. The child followed right behind, desperately wanting his gift back, and was yelling out words for the other to listen to him. Nevertheless, all his protests were ignored by the other and eventually they went out to the front of the house. Giotto and Natsu looked like they wanted to react violently but were held back by their friends. This was something they couldn't get involved with. To them, Gokudera was most likely right with his accusation.

"G-Gokudera! Gokudera, please give it back!" Tsuna called out, trying to keep up with the much larger boy.

Just as they arrived outside, Tsuna could only watch in terror as his precious doll was suddenly thrown up onto the rooftop. He was hoping that it would tumble down back into the safety of his arms but just as it reached the end the toy got caught on the edge of the gutter. One of its limbs was hanging off but nothing happened and Tsuna could only burst out into tears.

"Tch!" Gokudera huffed, placing his hands into his pockets as he glared at the child. "Stop crying, you little baby. You shouldn't be stealing much less have such girly toys in the first place," He headed back into the house, slamming the front door on Tsuna's crying, and continued to grumble under his breath. Slipping back into the kitchen, the silver-haired teen flopped down into his seat, ignoring all the stares he was receiving from the group, and went for his fork to continue eating, completely unbothered by what he had done. The brothers were glowering angrily, but were unsure on what to do. Snarling, Gokudera glared. "What?!"

Immediately, most of the occupants turned away, not wanting to be on the receiving end of the boy's short temper, and tried to focus on their food. Only the bravest of the group continued to stare. Giotto and Natsu, however, looked towards the front door with concern, wanting nothing more than to help their little baby brother. Nana's attention drifted away as she tried to serve all the children in her household, once more forgetting about her youngest who was bawling just outside.

However, Reborn wasn't very forgiving towards Gokudera for committing such a terrible deed against his newfound son. The hitman had watched most of the event from the very back of the group, just arriving from a job to see Gokudera snatch the doll away. He growled silently, his killing intent pouring out. Yet, no one felt it except for Giotto, who seemed to shift slightly and shiver, was able to sense it. When the silver-haired boy came back, looking smug at his actions and began to eat, Reborn struck. Slipping around the group unnoticed, he stood behind Gokudera's chair and stared down darkly at the boy. His hands had been resting within the pockets of his jacket, but within a split second he had grabbed the shoulder-length hair, yanking it back before slamming it straight down into the food-covered plate before him. There was a loud slam that echoed in the room, the table rattling at the force Reborn had exerted. Silence followed soon after, everyone turning straight to the fallen boy. They stared intently while the same question went through their minds.

What just… happened?

Reborn released his grip immediately, feeling satisfied at knocking the fool clean out, and began to make his way outside where he could still hear Tsuna crying through the house's walls. He picked out the various sounds and voices of everyone behind asking Gokudera what happened once he had woken up. Said boy yelled out broken words, spitting out his food from his mouth, and was cursing colorfully in rage. He was demanding who had done that but no one could really answer. Blood was dripping down his nose and Nana was trying to help clean him up before the red fluid dirtied everything. The hitman, however, didn't care about the miserable child and stepped out the front door to see the brunet kneeling on the ground, all curled up like a ball.

"Tsuna." His deep voice snapped the child out of the daze he had been in and Tsuna peered up sadly with large, fat tears welling up in his eyes. Immediately, the child ran up to him, still crying, and grasped onto his pants, tugging on them desperately. Reborn reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and let the kid blow his nose.

"P-Papa, meanie G-Gokudera threw y-your p-p-present onto the roof!" Tsuna snuffed, his words stuttering. "I'm sorry!"

The adult pat the child gently on the head. "It's alright. It's not your fault." Saying that, he peered up towards the rooftop where he could see said toy still hanging in the same spot. Luckily it hadn't rained in a while so there shouldn't be any water up there to get it dirty. Standing up, he jogged a little to give himself a start before jumping from his spot on the ground, landing gracefully onto the rooftop without making a sound. Tsuna watched curiously with wide eyes and took a step forward, wanting to get closer. A small smile slipped onto his lips, his Papa was just too amazing.

Reborn shifted on the roof carefully, making sure not to slip, and leaned down to grab the little plushie. His dark onyx eyes examined it carefully as he dusted away the dirt and leaves that had gotten attached to the toy. Before long, only the white and blue fur was left, and Reborn jumped off the edge of the roof, landing perfectly before the child. Tsuna's face lit up happily and suddenly his vision was covered by his bunny as the hitman threw the toy forward. Letting out a loud squeal, he grasped onto the rabbit and gave it a tight squeeze before spinning around to look at the other.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Rushing forward, the brunet plowed into the other and gave a bright smile before rushing back inside the house. He passed by those in the kitchen, no one paying attention to him since all was focused on the silver-haired boy whose nose was still aggressively bleeding. Sticking out his tongue towards Gokudera as offensively as possible, Tsuna gave a small squeak when he saw Giotto's blue eyes turning towards him and ran towards the stairs to hide. Still, despite being caught, the brunet couldn't help but squeal and rub his face into the bunny, keeping his bedroom door open for Reborn to follow, and the adult did. However, he brought in the lunch that had been downstairs, sneaking it out without anyone seeing it, and set the plate down onto the floor. Tsuna peered down at the delicious food before him, hearing his stomach growl, before peering up at the other. "A-Aren't you hungry? We can share!"

Reborn smirked and reached over, picking up one of the little sausages, and tossed it into his mouth. He chewed slowly before smirking. "There, I'm done. The rest is yours."

"R-Really?"

"Go ahead, I'll go back down and sneak some more up for us to eat." He didn't want to mention that he'd be actually stealing it from the idiots downstairs.

"Okay! Thanks, Papa!" Tsuna placed his bunny aside so that it wouldn't get dirty and lifted up his child-sized fork as he began eating. The adult leaned against the wall to watch the adorable scene and lifted up the doll with one hand, staring at it. The two before him really looked alike, in the small cuteness at least.


	12. Chapter 12

"Tsuna?" Giotto poked his head through the opening of the door, peeking at his youngest sibling who was sitting on the floor near the center of the bedroom. He could see the little brunet settled at the table in the center of the room. Tsuna's legs were folded neatly underneath the wood and were leaning over something Giotto couldn't quite see from his position. He could hear a soft hum from the small boy who was concentrating on the object before him, as well as the scribbling of a felt-tip pen. There was an empty plate on the other side, completely cleaned of all content, with the utensils placed neatly on top. At the sound of his voice, the brunet perked up and pulled away from the table, putting down the markers he had been using to color in what looked like a picture. Since Tsuna had just started, there wasn't much on the sheet except for a few lines.

The child smiled brightly, almost like the incident from earlier hadn't happened. His rabbit was on the bed, unnoticed by the blonde, and Tsuna spoke, "Brother!" He rushed up to the eldest for a hug, crashing into his legs with a giggle.

Giotto immediately returned it, gently petting the brunet as he ran his fingers through the soft hair, and smiled at the mere happiness the other showed him. Reborn, meanwhile, was at the corner of the room, simply watching the bonding moment. As the blonde pulled away from the other, Giotto kneeled down so that he could be at the same level as Tsuna. He bit his bottom lip, trying to say something about what had happened only moments before. Tsuna, seeing the frustrated look, kept quiet. He was unsure how to react considering Giotto's personality of straightforwardness. "Tsuna, about earlier…" He paused, trying to form his words, and peered around the place. His momentary lapse in speech allowed him to avoid the subject just a little longer, before he released a heavy sigh. "Look, about what happened with Gokudera, I'm sorry about that."

The brunet blinked curiously, tilting his head to the side. "Sorry? Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything to me."

Reborn snorted in the background, ignored by the two brothers. Giotto sighed heavily once more at the denial and stopped his petting, placing his hands onto the youngest's right shoulder. "Well, I let Gokudera do that to you. I mean, I didn't stop him when I should have. For that, I'm sorry."

"Oh…" Tsuna tilted his head to the side, curious about the matter, before glancing back towards Reborn. He was hoping for some guidance in this situation, for the right words to say, but the hitman remained quietly settled on the edge of the bed with his arms crossed against his chest. Reborn smirked and waved a hand as if telling the child to 'go ahead' before reaching up to pull his fedora over his eyes. At that sight, and knowing he wouldn't be getting any help, Tsuna pouted and turned back to his brother. He blinked his large honey-colored eyes and gave a small smile. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

Giotto's shoulders dropped; his eyes glancing downward as he went over Tsuna's words. "No, but it is. I didn't stop him when I should have. I just let Gokudera hurt you like that."

"But big brother loves me, right?"

"Of course I do, you're my little brother!"

"Then that's fine!" Tsuna wiggled out of the grasp and raised his arms outwards from his side as if he was trying to hold something big. He grinned widely, thinking he had found the perfect reason for everything. "Brother loves me so everything is fine!"

Reborn silently snorted in the background, raising a hand against his lips as he tried to keep himself from laughing. He carefully flopped back onto the bed, still watching the entire scene through the corner of his eyes. It was odd how Tsuna's logic came about, but he'd rather have Tsuna think like that than any other way. It was cute, after all. And pretty disarming, Reborn would have to give credit to Tsuna's innocence. Giotto sighed heavily, quickly figuring out that his younger brother wouldn't be budging on this subject and ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright, alright," Giotto shook his head and slowly pulled away from the other with a smile. "I lose this battle." He reached down to rub Tsuna's head gently, watching in amusement when the brunet laughed happily. "Well, I'm going to head back down. I need to keep my friends in control or else they'll destroy the house."

"Okay!" Tsuna just continued to smile, watching as his older brother stood up. Giotto made a small wave of goodbye before exiting the bedroom, leaving the two within alone. Reborn smirked before turning away, comfortable with his position, and closed his eyes while Tsuna went back to drawing with his colorful markers. It wasn't quiet though; the downstairs noise, which consisted of yelling and various crashes, carried up to the second floor. They could recognize the older brothers' voices easily among the chaos and laughter. Slowly, Tsuna began to hum gently to himself as he drew some more lines, concentrating on his picture as it began to take form. Reborn tried to peek over from his spot, but due to the distance and position he was in, all he could see was the ends of the table. However, he didn't have to wait long to find out what exactly Tsuna had been working on. "Done!"

Reborn opened one eye from underneath the fedora, peeking at the little brunet. "You finished your drawing?"

"Yeah! Look!" The child stood up, grabbing his little drawing, and ran over to Reborn's spot. He had to crawl onto the bed with one hand, the other gripping tightly onto the paper, but he managed just fine, slipping onto Reborn's abdomen. He heard the adult make a small 'oof' at the added pressure and giggled softly to himself in content. "Reborn, look!"

Reluctantly pulling off his fedora to actually see, the hitman hummed in amusement when a piece of paper was pushed up against his face, just inches away from touching. With the distance, he couldn't focus on the whole sketch so he sat up carefully, watching as the child rolled down his stomach and onto his lap. "Well, well, what do we have here?" It was a crappy drawing, but it was to be expected from a child. Children didn't exactly have the best artistic sense. Still, he could make out the colors and shapes enough to understand what was going on. There were two figures, one that represented Tsuna and the other was… him. It was pretty obvious with the black hat and clothes. No one else dressed like that except for him. Reborn chuckled gently, finding it cute. "Trying to draw me, huh?"

"Yep! Do you like it?"

"Obviously." The adult reached down and pet Tsuna's head gently, his fingers running through the soft locks. He fell back into bed, his head cradled by the soft pillow. "It's very nice."

"Yay!" Tsuna squealed, crashing back down onto Reborn's abdomen, and shone in delight when he heard another small 'oof' from the adult. He giggled lightly, staring up at the other in delight. His small arms tried to wrap around the waist, rubbing his chin into the stomach with a grin. The hitman didn't do anything but lay there, letting the child do whatever he wanted, and reached up to help balance the boy before he tumbled off him and the bed. Tsuna's legs rocked back and forth, curious at how the adult would react to his push, but when there was nothing, he tilted his head to the side with his ear against the warm skin. Listening carefully, he could hear the gurgling sounds of the stomach and beamed, closing his eyes in satisfaction.

Reborn shook his head and let his fingers slide back, running his hands through the soft brown hair as he chuckled. Tsuna was just too cute for his own good. He continued to let the child do whatever he wished, content in his position and relaxed against the bed once more, finding himself in the perfect spot for a nap. Continuing his strokes, he observed as the child slowly drifted off into slumber and pulled the boy closer to his body, wrapping himself around Tsuna protectively. He really was getting too used to being a dad to the brunet.

* * *

"You're doing much better in your homework," Reborn commented as he went over the sheets of paper before him. It had been a month since the incident with Gokudera, by Giotto's decree the silver-haired boy was no longer allowed to come over until he apologized. Of course, with the boy being so prideful and Tsuna unaware of the whole battle that was going on in the background, it never happened. Reborn had taken great care in watching over the child as if Tsuna was truly his own, allowing the boy to follow him to most places when he went out, except for his missions. The hitman honestly didn't mind the little duckling thing that was going on between them, finding it incredibly endearing with the way Tsuna would cling to him for protection.

He had noticed that, with his tutoring, Tsuna's grade point average had improved, going from failing to passing with a B-average. He wanted it to be a little higher, but he was fine with the improvement for now. It was a lot better than before and making up for those previous grades wasn't easy for the brunet who didn't understand some of the most basic information. He remembered the time when Tsuna had gotten his first 'B' on a test, waving it towards the raven so proudly, before jumping up into his arms. He had completely by-passed the rest of his family without a single care and went straight to his father. It was adorable, and to Reborn, it was showing him just how close they were becoming.

"That's because of you, Papa!" Tsuna smiled happily, settling into the raven's lap. He peered up at the adult and leaned against the chest happily, watching his father check over his homework carefully. Reborn huffed in amusement, patting the brunet on the head gently. His eyes roamed through the answers and questions, looking over everything carefully. He smirked and pointed down to one, circling it before placing the paper down on the table. Tsuna smiled at the sight of that. "Does that mean I only got one wrong this time?"

"Yep, you're doing much better now," Reborn stared down at the other proudly, feeling warmth that his adopted son was rapidly improving under his tutelage. "Now, I believe dinner will be ready soon. You can go eat before looking over this wrong answer."

"Aww." The brunet didn't move from his spot, too comfortable with where he was located, and leaned further into the warmth. "Papa is so warm."

Reborn rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. His fedora was on the nightstand along with his jacket on the edge of the bed. He was clearly relaxed in this setting, his expression softening up the longer he was around the brunet. Slowly, he wrapped an arm around the child and pulled him closer against his chest, clearing up the table as he organized everything neatly into different stacks. Everything was done for the night except for that one question, leaving them enough time to do whatever they wanted until dinner.

"Hey, Papa," Tsuna nuzzled closer. "Could you tell me about your life?"

"My life?"

"Yeah, like how you became… you?"

Reborn blinked at that, humming gently to himself before shaking his head. "Perhaps another time. I'm not comfortable with telling you about my life story yet."

"Aww," Tsuna disappointedly pouted before brightening up. "Then what about a plain old story? Mama never did that for me."

At that sudden change, the hitman laughed. "Sure, I can do that. Should I choose this story then?" He got a rapid nod from the child and sighed, knowing exactly what the child wanted. "Alright then, I'll do that for you. Now, I think that's Nana calling out for you."

As he spoke those words, Tsuna picked up the voice of his mother calling out for dinner and wiggled out of Reborn's gasp. He twirled around in glee and smiled contentedly, running to the door before turning around towards the adult. The hitman chuckled once more, standing up so that he could follow, knowing that the other wouldn't go anywhere without him these days. Reborn rubbed the back of his head before following, opening the door that was blocking their way towards the hallway. Tsuna rushed out first, smiling joyfully and spun around to face the adult. "Thank you, Papa!"

Reborn reached down to pat Tsuna on the head, ruffling the hair softly. "Yes, yes, come on. Let's go downstairs. Everyone is waiting."

"Right!" Tsuna rushed down the steps, making his way towards the kitchen where he could see everyone else. Nana was happily putting the plates onto the table and even an extra one for Reborn, who she still believed to be Tsuna's imaginary friend. No one really questioned it anymore, simply going along with it even when they caught the child talking to thin air with a smile on his face. They had gotten used it and as much as they wanted Tsuna to stop, they couldn't quite bring themselves to ruin Tsuna's happiness. The smiles the youngest sibling threw around with his imaginary friend and the improvement in his attitude was too obvious to break. As everyone settled into their seats with Reborn hanging to the side (never really joining to not make things suspicious), Nana suddenly clapped her hands together to gather everyone's attention towards her.

"Everyone, I have great news!" She was beamed brilliantly as she peered around everyone at the table and watched as they froze to listen. Natsu had his fork hanging above his plate, ready to literally dig in. "I just got the call about it today. You won't believe what I just heard!" Everyone went silent to let the only female of the household continue, wondering what this was all about. They tried to think about it, but none of their answers were truly the correct ones.

"Mom?" Natsu was the first one to speak, his curiosity on the subject much stronger than the rest. "What's the great news?"

"Iemitsu is coming home!"


End file.
